Originally released in 1991, PT House’s debut album ‘Big World’ signalled the arrival of a young Soweto rapper named Nelson Mohale (later better known as Dr House) on South Africa’s early house and kwaito scene.
Teaming up with producer Danny Bridgens — an up-and-coming studio hand and session guitarist for the likes of Yvonne Chaka Chaka and Margino, also releasing as The Stone and Leroy Stone — the pair drew influence from US & UK hip-house contemporaries but were determined to give their sound a local flavour, as well as a positive vibe that looked forward to a brighter future. PT House’s four-track debut was a bold statement that still holds up today, reissued for the first time on Afrosynth Records.
Out on vinyl and digital platforms in early 2024. Pre-order via Rush Hour here.
Cover versions of international songs have long thrived in South Africa’s music industry. Often unable to license the original tracks (until the early 90s the result of an international boycott of the country) labels instead hired producers and session artists to re-record them for the local market. Early house music in SA was no different.
When Ron ‘Robot’ Friedman, former bass player for local rockers Rabbitt, was winding down his label On Records in the early 90s, he reached out for new inspiration as the popularity of ‘bubblegum’ disco waned. For one of the label’s final releases he hired young DJ/producer Quentin Foster, obsessed with the new soulful house sound coming out of the US, to take the reins on a studio project dubbed Citi Express.
On Robot’s insistence it included a cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Living for the City’ (from 1973’s Innervisions) as the title track.
Foster set to work in his home studio, dubbed Tone Def, selecting and re-working other US and UK tracks — ‘It’s Too Late’ (originally released in 1989 by Kelli Sae), ‘Love is the Message’ (influenced by the 70s soul anthem and credited to Gamble & Huff but bearing a closer resemblance to Better Days’ 1990 release written by Steve Proctor), ‘People of The World’ (recorded by Sorell Johnson in the UK in 1990) and ‘Victim of Your Love’ (released in 1990 by Gary Vonqwest as ‘Victim of Love’) — adding some signature South African touches in the process that foreshadow the imminent rise of kwaito. One original composition was added for good measure, ‘Open Invitation’.
The result offers a glimpse into those early days of house, a uniquely South African take on a global sound that still resonates today.
Very early South African house track, released as a single ahead of Novidade's six-track album of the same name in 1991. The group also released the album Fun Time in 1988 with Gallo. Produced by the late Tata 'TNT' Sibeko (Small, Shalom, Judi),
Music Team/Azania/Roi, AZR07
Producer/Engineer: Danny Bridgens
Composers: D. Bridgens & N. Mohale
Recorded at: Kitchen Sync
The missing link between the new school sounds of the early 90s - house, hi-NRG, hip-hop and kwaito. Revolutionary at the time, today it's got some retro charm but the rudimentary, frantic dancefloor beats (except on the downtempo, funked up 'Unity') show just how far things have come since then.
DPMC/Tusk, DMB 9007
Producer Engineer: George Vardas
Exececutive Producer: Chris Ghelakis)
Recorded at: TRS Studios
Early techno/house album featuring a cover of Technotronic international hit "Pump up the Jam". Not a bad album, but one that hasn't aged particularly well. "When Marilyn, Bridget and Beverly Alexander met producer/engineer George Vardas, they walked into the studio in 1989 and came out with the eight-track album Smooth Lover featuring the hits 'Pump up the Jam', 'Tomorrow' as well as the title track on the DPMC label. The three were collectively called Syndicate Sisters. Two tracks on the album were composed by Sydney Mogopodi of 'Mama's Baby' fame. Their 1991 album, titled Foolish Games, featured fellow musicians Ringo Madlingozi and Ronny Joyce" (Mojapelo 2008:167).
World of Music / Nu Beat / Principal, NUBL 5012
Producer: JE Movement & George Vardas)
Engineer: George Vardas
Composed by: James Nyingwa & Elliot Faku
Sweet 8 track album that shows where Mzansi pop of the 90s was heading. Songs like "Ama-Bad Girls" and "Wadi Boss" are given remixes, while others like "Ain't Nobody's Business" and "Boy Friend" are similarly catchy and dancefloor-orientated.
"Back to the birth of kwaito music . . . In the nightclub circuit, house music from Europe dominated the dance floor. This gave rise to the demand for locally brewed house music In 1988 JE Movement released a hot dance album Ma Dea Luv. The name of the group was a coinage of the initials of the duo, the late James Nyingwa and Elliot Faku. Their other albums were Bad Girls (1989) and Guilty (1990)." (from Mojapelo 2008:167)
