There is something to be said about December in the cultural lexicon of South Africa. From having the limited space of the weekends to engage in our favourite forms of escapism, “Ke Dezemba Boss,” as it is affectionately phrased among youth culture, is a whole month of celebration, stokvel money cashouts, chaos, bonuses, and annual leaves for events such as family gatherings and traditional/white weddings. For production powerhouse and electronic music trailblazer Funky Qla, December is a time when the vibrant streets of Durban as a holiday destination come alive. Funky Qla felt an inescapable desire to serve his fandom and the world at large with festive and memorable vibes, capturing everyday Durban moments with global flair, and he does this with clinical precision on his new offering, “Dark Or Durban 2.”
Known for his ability to challenge the sonic status quo of Afro Tech, Gqom, and electronic dance music collectively, the continuation of his critically acclaimed “Dark or Durban” EP pays homage to the dynamic heartbeat of Durban’s December spirit through masterful narrative punctuated by diverse, restless and quirky musicality that resonates beyond the dancefloor. Recorded at Funko Media’s studio in Durban, the three-month creative process that brought “Dark or Durban 2” to life brought together some of the most eccentric movers and shakers of our local dance scene: Sir Trill, Zee Nxumalo, Maline Aura, Argento Dust, Skillz, Sino Msolo, and Sykes. As an artefact to the power of collaboration, the EP proudly blends new and established voices to usher in an innovative yet nostalgic sound, boldly showcasing undiscovered talent through his compelling knack for curating hits doused in replay value.
Balancing the fun and carefree to deep and meaningful memory-making through an immersive soundtrack requires the utmost innovation, and Funky Qla contrasts the soulful essence and energetic celebratory nuances synonymous with Durban culture during the holiday season. From setting the benchmark of a hit single with “Izingoma Ezimnandi” from “Dark Or Durban” to pushing the needle with “Umapholoba” in the second instalment of the EP series, the design to make people dance, laugh, connect, and rejoice is honoured with compelling sonic flavour.
Infused with Funky Qla’s signature attention to detail, “Dark or Durban 2” is a conceptual renaissance where Gqom and Afrotech influences aren’t mere stylistic choices but complex linguistic systems through which urban Black South African experiences are articulated. The instrumental “Durban Funk” exemplifies this—Stripped of vocal rhetoric, its raw and provocative energy speaks through pure percussive language—a dialectical communication that transcends linguistic barriers. Its relentless beat becomes a form of sonic poetry, articulating experiences that resist traditional narrative structures.
Stream “Durban Funk” here.
The EP’s architecture establishes Funky Qla as one of the most difiant globally African producers due to his careful sound and storytelling choreography. Each record is a distinct spatial-temporal vignette, revealing layers of Durban’s vibrant and often contradictory lived realities. Take “Shayi’Zule,” the road trip anthem featuring Sino Msolo—here, movement becomes a metaphor. A dedication to the extroverts who are the life of the party, the transcendent Afro Tech offering expands beyond the physical boundaries, it represents a broader psychological journey, where urban mobility symbolizes aspiration and potential.
“Utshwala” stands out as a particularly sophisticated piece of social commentary. By weaponizing humour to critique social dynamics around consumption and hospitality, Funky Qla and collaborators Argento Dust and Maline Aura transform what could be a simple party track into a sharp sociological observation detailing the woes and chaos that come with alcohol abuse. The track’s witty deconstruction of alcoholism becomes a subtle meditation on communal economics and social performance. Taking “Dark Or Durban 2” to its peak is an ode to the Gqom culture, which originated in the cut-throat streets of Durban Kasi’s. “Umaphaboloba” featuring Zee Nxumalo and Sir Trill represents the EP’s most potent moment of performative bravado. Here, the track becomes a self-affirmation ritual, transforming the dancefloor into a site of radical self-definition and resistance.
Stream “Utshwala” here.
“Spotify” explores the new unit through which success is measured — the amount of streams you amass on streaming platforms like YouTube and Spotify itself. It falls flat on the social commentary that should ideally be explored about the dangers of the algorithm and streaming culture as a whole but finds the artists transcending into a state of braggadocio, boasting about how their hits are shaking the pulse of the culture and its evident through the number of streams their records garner. While infectious in nature, this song strains itself as one of the weaker cuts of the EP as a whole as it missed the chance to rebel against the system; rather, it upholds it as it benefits the artists in one form or another.
What distinguishes “Dark or Durban 2” is its refusal to be confined by traditional electronic music paradigms. Funky Qla curates experiences, threading together personal, communal, and sonic discourse with remarkable sophistication. The EP ultimately functions as a living archive—documenting not just sound but the complex emotional geographies of contemporary urban Black experience in South Africa. Contextually, the EP situates itself within a rich genealogy of South African electronic music; it doesn’t reference Gqom and Afrotech; it actively recontextualises these genres, revealing them as dynamic, ever-evolving linguistic and sonic systems of cultural expression.
The EP’s most profound achievement is its ability to make the local global without sacrificing specificity. These aren’t tracks designed for universal consumption but intimate sonic dispatches from Durban’s cultural frontlines. Funky Qla transmutes the nuance of experience, creating a radical act of cultural preservation. The transcendent nature of “Dark Or Durban 2” compels us to stretch beyond reflecting experience but actively reshape our understanding of it. Between a time to dance and a time to streamline your goals for 2025, “Dark Or Durban 2” is the soundtrack to celebration and ambition, fueling our inclination to immortalize our accomplishments, coupled with restless hunger to dominate the new year, raising the bar of success at every turn.
Stream “Dark Or Durban 2.”
