From its opening moments, MÖRDA’s “Asante III” establishes itself as a spiritual technology designed to elevate consciousness. The producer formerly known as one half of Black Motion has created a sonic ritual that transforms dance floors into sacred spaces, channeling ancestral energies through contemporary electronic production with remarkable clarity of purpose.
As the culmination of his “Asante” trilogy, this 15-track collection represents MÖRDA’s most profound spiritual deliverance to date. The album’s title itself—”Asante,” meaning “thank you” in Swahili—signals gratitude as its foundation, but this third installment moves beyond thanksgiving into the realm of reverence and divine communion.
MÖRDA | SUPPLIED
The spiritual dimensions of the project are immediately apparent in its sonic architecture. Bass frequencies rumble like ceremonial drums, synthesizers hover like incense smoke, and vocals ascend like prayers. MÖRDA understands that in African musical traditions, rhythm isn’t simply an organizing principle—it’s a vehicle for spirit. Each carefully crafted beat serves as both invitation and invocation.
Lead single “Glory” exemplifies this spiritual intention. Featuring vocalists Nomfundo Moh and Nontokozo Mkhize, the track builds from meditative beginnings to ecstatic heights, their harmonies functioning as testaments of faith against pulsing production. The effect is transcendent—music that simultaneously grounds and elevates, connecting dancers to earth and sky.
Stream “Glory” here:
This duality runs throughout the album. On “Home,” MÖRDA collaborates with Brenden Praise and Artwork Sounds to explore belonging as both physical and metaphysical condition. “Phalaphala” with Afrikan Roots and Maz Sings incorporates traditional call elements that summon listeners to attention. “Makhosi” featuring MK Productions and Nokwazi explicitly honors spiritual guides with production that seems to part the veil between worlds.
Even in its more club-oriented moments, the album maintains its ceremonial quality. “The Massacre” with Nqo transforms aggressive percussion into purifying force, while “Diamond Tears” alongside Thakzin alchemizes sorrow into beauty. Throughout, MÖRDA demonstrates understanding that in South African musical traditions, celebration and spiritual practice are not separate domains but complementary expressions.
Stream “Diamond Tears” here:
What distinguishes “Asante III” from similar projects is its integration of these spiritual elements without sacrificing danceability. Where some producers might lean into abstraction or ambient textures to convey transcendence, MÖRDA remains committed to movement as spiritual practice. The body itself becomes instrument of worship on tracks like “Sukuma” and “Taiko Drum,” where complex polyrhythms invite physical engagement as path to spiritual release.
The collaborative nature of the album further reinforces its communal spiritual ethos. Rather than positioning himself as sole visionary, MÖRDA creates space for multiple voices and perspectives, recognizing that spiritual wisdom emerges from collective experience. Each featured artist brings their own relationship to the sacred, creating a diverse spiritual ecosystem within the album’s framework.
In establishing his planned “Vault by MÖRDA” live events, the producer signals understanding that this music reaches its full potential when experienced in community. Just as traditional ceremonies require shared presence, these sounds demand collective witnessing—bodies moving in synchronicity, energies aligning through shared rhythm.
MÖRDA | SUPPLIED
“Asante III” ultimately succeeds as both personal spiritual testimony and universal invitation. MÖRDA has crafted a work that honors South African musical heritage while speaking to contemporary spiritual hunger. In a fragmented world, this album offers temporary wholeness—a sacred circle drawn through sound, where healing becomes possible through surrender to rhythm. This is spiritual music in its truest sense: not because it preaches, but because it transforms.
MÖRDA has created a modern ritual for uncertain times—one that acknowledges darkness while insisting on light, that remembers ancestors while creating new traditions. “Asante III” represents African excellence and manifests African spiritual wisdom through the universal language of rhythm.
Stream “Asante III” here: https://vyd.co/AsanteIii
