We reach across the world to South Africa and connect with DOOKOOM, an Electro/HipHop/Hardcore/Punk/Grime group. Prepare to land on the darkest corner of your psyche, a world of shadows and demons you can either confront, or be haunted by. Musically they are a mind-fuck of raw, unfiltered, menacing Cape Flats street rap delivered over an aggressive, apocalyptic onslaught of hardcore, industrial strength beats with sonic stains of grime, trap, pervert pop and punk. This interview is unfiltered with an onslaught of passion and emotion. Fronted by Cape Flats underground legend and Die Antwoord collaborator Isaac Mutant along with a crew of talented comrades: Human Waste, spo0ky and Whatgwaan. They create an emotional response to a world most people are too scared to confront. We’re excited for the release of their new album ‘NO!’ coming out on IOT Records (France) and their 22 show European tour…
Interview Meikee Magnetic
What part of the planet were you each born and where are you living now?
Isaac Mutant: Fokkien born in Vredendal, Fokkien. I live in Cape Town, Athlone.
Human Waste: I was born and raised in London, UK. Came to live in Cape Town, South Africa in 1995.
spo0ky: I was born in the land of beers, frites and chocolate. I’m currently a vegetarian in a country where the national sport is braai (BBQ).
Whatgwaan: I was born in an unknown little colored (mixed race) community called Standerton outside Gauteng. I live in the city of the sun, Cape of good dope.
Your new album ‘NO!’ comes out in March, we’re very excited to listen and share it with our readers. What can we expect to hear on this release?
Isaac Mutant: Expect to hear cries of a zoo of animals that’s trying to make sense of their god given human emotions. Expect 3rd class passengers finger-fucking the driver, and the madams in 1st class can’t take their eyes away. Naturally you expect us to lie, so read our album title again. You can expect hunger, anger and banger after banger that goes “dookoomDookoomDOOKOOM”. You can expect a ‘fuck you rap’ while I’m trying to guzzle beer and vomit at the same time. Don’t expect me to understand the meaning of ‘art construct’. You can expect another slave if you’re pregnant.
Human Waste: You can expect to hear a lot of raw emotion. A lot of honesty. For me, the album is an internal journey. It’s almost as if we were channeling Adele, but like a fucked-up, crackhead Adele. There are quite a few songs that deal with love, relationships and pain. Musically, it’s still all about energy more than a genre – I still don’t know what we are and I’ve given up trying to label it anymore. We have a punk sensibility, that’s about as much as I can say. NO! is an album though, it’s a journey. Everyone is releasing video singles and EPs because people have got short attention spans, but I miss the days of a Wu-Tang album where, for an hour, you got taken into someone else’s world. Hopefully we’ve achieved that.
spo0ky: Our first 3 EPs were focused more on South Africa – the harsh living conditions, oppressing so many, which are leftovers from a fucked up apartheid system. The album is about reclaiming our power, saying a big NO! to the systems which benefits only a few. It’s also an emotional album: love, anger, human weaknesses, things we all go through and can all relate to as human beings. Musically speaking, it’s big. It’s a cross between punk, hip hop, grime, and trap.
Whatgwaan: We got some heavy tracks dropping – ear ripping mind bending dirty rock rap electro death.
I read Dookoom is a Zulu term for a traditional healer, please correct me if I’m wrong. You are bringing things to the surface that need to be addressed with your music, giving people a voice that may not know how to be heard. I admire how you address sensitive issues, where does this passion of no fear come from?
Isaac Mutant: DOOKOOM comes from Dukun, a Malaysian mystic. In my old neighborhood, that was the boogieman. Aunties would scare their laities when they would misbehave, like “I’ma call the Dukum if you naughty”. We changed the spelling because we can. And so it wouldn’t have the same meaning as the original word which is a curse. We’d be misleading liars if we didn’t change it to this bloody marvelous name.
Human Waste: DOOKOOM is a perversion of the word the Malay word ‘dukun’, which is a kind of spiritual healer. In the Southeast Asian context it doesn’t have negative connotations. In the Cape context the ‘doekoem’ is seen as a practitioner of black magic and is therefore dangerous. We see ourselves as outsiders, outside of society and definitely outside of the music industry. I guess this is what gives us our power – we have nothing to lose.
spo0ky: When kids are bad, they’re told that the ‘Doekoem’, the witch doctor, will come and get them. A Doekoem is an misunderstood outsider. We’re a bunch of misfits, misunderstood outsiders too, and we’ll always root for the underdogs. I don’t think it is a passion though – how can you remain passive when the living conditions of so many people around you are harsh and nobody really cares.
Whatgwaan: We should not fear who we are. We want to say what we want and be who we want. It’s about time someone said fuck you.
The music video ‘DIRTY’ directed by acclaimed photographer Pieter Hugo is brilliant and definitely a shocker. You artistically push buttons where the viewer is almost uncomfortable, nicely done. I admire how you had no fear in letting the director’s vision come into reality and you guys went for it. What was the overall reaction from the media and fans when ‘DIRTY’ was released?
Isaac Mutant: The fans thought, ‘what the fuck is Isaac doing now? What the fuck is wrong with that bra?’ People were generally impressed with the level of quality. Making the music video forced me to new heights and I did things I didn’t know i could do. Hugo and his crew were very patient with me. Salute.
Human Waste: Strangely, the reaction was muted. It got very little media attention too – especially when you consider Pieter Hugo’s stature in the art world. Maybe it’s because people have come to expect something political from us after ‘Larney Jou Poes’ and ‘The Worst Thing’, but we have never been a ‘political’ band. It makes people uncomfortable and they don’t know what to make of it. It confuses people and they are conflicted. Is it dope? Is it disgusting? Maybe people would just not rather have to think about it too much?
As musicians you have no fear in what you do, your art keeps it raw and real. I believe artistic freedom hasn’t been used to it’s fullest potential in a lot of music these days. What do you think sets you apart from other artists?
Isaac Mutant: I like to look at DOOKOOM as a zoo. Like a miniature version of SA because of our contrasting backgrounds but that just adds more flavor to the diet. DOOKOOM is more angrier and hungrier. Individually more experienced than most. I feel like we all almost had enough of cheap music, of the shape the world is in, and of the lies that us humans keep telling ourselves to feel safe. We beg to differ. And of course DOOKOOM has Isaac Mutant. Big difference.
Bradda, we just came home from Apartheid. Do you even understand what that means? We just got home from war, bra. Then we find out our victory was a hoax, a fart in the wind, a business deal called ‘The Rainbow Nation’. We’re still at war and we cannot live in fear. We’re South Africans. This is what we do bradda. Then we braai (BBQ) and drink beer on our lunch break.
Human Waste: We’re just being us – that’s what sets us apart. We’re not following trends or trying to appease a brand or appeal to a market. We just do what we want. I saw an interview with Skepta where they asked him why he thought he was becoming so popular. He answered that it was because he understood who he was and that was all he was going to try to be. He turned up to the MOBO awards in a tracksuit where everyone else was in black tie. A few months later he’s in GQ as one of Britain’s Best Dressed Men of 2015.
spo0ky: DOOKOOM is DOOKOOM. Nobody else is DOOKOOM. We cannot do or be anything else but ourselves. Brands ‘owning’ music and culture, and telling people what is now ‘cool’ is scary. They’re not doing it for the sake of the artists they push, but for profit. Look where capitalism is taking us.
Whatgwann: We’re creating art in our own way, we just want to show people the rawness of reality and all the fucked up things in this world.
‘The Worst Thing Feat. David Banner’ goes in the direction of Trap which is very popular here in San Francisco. How did this collaboration come about?
Human Waste: We had an article about ‘Larney Jou Poes’ on Noisey / Vice. David Banner shouted us out on Twitter after seeing it. Obviously the theme of our song appealed to his interests as it dealt with structural racism and the legacy of colonialism and slavery. He comes from the South, so those are issues that are close to his heart. We reached out to him to do a track and he was down. That was some historic shit.
Music if done correctly has a universal power, a power to change. What would Dookoom like to achieve with your music?
Isaac Mutant: I would personally want people to accept that everybody is human and it’s cool to have human feelings and an opinion. I want everyone to have an opinion. Don’t be afraid to have an opinion, don’t be afraid.
Human Waste: That’s a good question. We want to create a shared experience by providing people with a space to feel and to let go. It’s cathartic. We believe in the power of anger, it’s a powerful motivating force. The system is always trying to pacify people; let’s party, let’s drink, let’s get high. Fuck that shit. Let’s get mad and riot!
spo0ky: When you get to speak to a Civil Rights group who represents (some) farm owners, and you get to tell them about the harsh and unfair living conditions of farm workers. It’s something they normally don’t hear or speak about, because of a song and music video you made, it’s exactly what we’re here for: create dialogue about issues that are not addressed.
Whatgwann: We would like to just make people see what south Africa is about. We have a voice.
Isaac, who are the MC’s that really inspired you?
Isaac Mutant: I grew up listening to Public Enemy, Run DMC, Big Daddy Kane, KRS1, Prophets Of the City, Rage Against The Machine and Bob Marley; I believe Bob was an emcee. He sure thought like one.
What is your impression of America? *don’t be afraid to be blunt ;)
Isaac Mutant: Now, I can lie about it and talk all that hierarchy shit but truth of the matter is I got it imprinted in me that the USA is where all good things happen to humans. The ultimate wet dream. So says television and everybody with half the sense to desire to live a ‘healthy, rich’ life. I grew up thinking that’s where everybody should want to end up someday. I thought that’s the real Africa because those marrafukkas made being black look cool. You wouldn’t aspire to go to heaven. No, you would rather kill if you can go to America. Shit, I bragged about this interview because it is American. Funny.
Human Waste: America is an amazing place. You have people like Trump running for President but you also have an amazing Civil Rights movement. From the outside it seems dynamic, extreme and insane with a lot of friction, which I love and it’s great for artists and revolutionaries.
spo0ky: It’s like you guys are living on a movie set.
Whatgwann: Weed is legal in some places. I like that. America is cool.
The world seems to be going backwards at a rapid pace. What are some of your political beliefs and points of view and what would you like to see changed?
Isaac Mutant: I don’t have any political views. I don’t really know what a political view is. I thought I did but I must have been mistaken. It all looks like business transactions to me. They move the same as drug merchants to me. My ‘political view’ never mattered so I have never formed one really. What I know is that the masses should not have to suffer because a few decided it should be like that for those elite few’s benefit. To be born with a certain skin color is a silly reason for a person to suffer. I don’t like politicians and The Establishment. I want the people to have the power to govern themselves, or have a say about it, ’cause let’s be honest, it’s not happening right now. This is Earth, it’s 2016 and I’m black. My political views should be fairly obvious to anyone.
Human Waste: I don’t like capitalism. It’s an economic system that divides us as people and sets us up against each other. I hate the disparity of wealth it creates and the damage to planet it causes. I’d like people to start caring about each other and their communities more, and less about the car they drive or the size of their house. We’re all stuck in this bullshit so we do what we can.
spo0ky: Systems that profit only a few must go. Consumerism is not sustainable. We need to get back to living in symbiosis with eachother and the planet. Let’s put the well-being of all before profit and greed.
Whatgwaan: Fuck our government. Everything needs to change. I don’t do politics.
Tell us your plans for 2016 and if you will tour in the US:
Isaac Mutant: Push harder and keep telling our story to whoever wants to listen to our story and push boundaries, definitely push and break more boundaries. I want to open a hospitality and grooming school for prostitutes. For real, anyone should be able to do what they feel comfortable with, but these ladies would do much better for themselves if they had the knowledge and tools at their disposal.
Human Waste: We have a 22 show European tour coming up in March (big up our label IOT Records and our booking agents AFX). Our first album, NO!, is also coming out in March. We’re hoping to be back in Europe in June / July for their summer festival season. I’d love to come to the States. I’ve visited a few times but I’ve never performed there. We have no plans right now, but I hope we can make it happen.
spo0ky: We’re releasing our first album on March 4th then we’re off for a 22 date tour across Europe starting March 9th. We’re hitting France, Switzerland and Holland (with Dope DOD!). A European summer tour is in the works and America, we’re ready for you, give us a call anytime!
Whatgwann: Playing the shit out of drums. Make more tracks, do tattoos and fuck shit up!
What does Dark Beauty mean to you?
Isaac Mutant: Most steer away from so-called Darkness or anything dark and of course, the stigma that was attached to the words ‘dark’ and ‘Black’ in the black holocaust. People were /are made to believe these words describes ‘the ugly’. Yet to some it also describes the mysterious, the hidden but you know what they say about beauty. So to me it’s the outcasts, freaks or the shunned that has dark beauty deep down inside. It’s a hidden strength; powerful and almost destructive if you’re not careful. It’s anger and it’s putting their foot down. One sentence comes to mind when you see that person, ‘NOT TO BE FUCKED WITH’. Now that’s Dark Beauty to me. That power, that anger that transforms that person and gives them such confidence and conviction. There is the possibility that such a situation may turn very sour.
Human Waste: To me it means finding beauty in unconventional people and places.
spo0ky: Let’s be honest, this human experience we’re all going through, it’s not easy everyday. We go through tough times figuring things out. Dark Beauty captures the beauty of these dark moments, it’s what makes us human. It’s the true raw beauty of the human condition.
Whatgwann: Dark beauty is the darkest ink I can get onto a person’s skin. The deepest black. Eyes closed.
EXTRA CREDITS:
Production Assistant Phoenix Lebogang Nørgaard
Photography by Mads Nørgaard
MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/Dookoom
https://dookoom.bandcamp.com/
FOLLOW DARK BEAUTY MUSIC ON INSTAGRAM