SAMA-winning 3 Step trailblazer and record producer Thuthuka Zindlovu, popularly known as Dlala Thukzin, has been in fine form for the past several years, setting clubs alight with offerings from Permanent Music 3 and Finally Famous Too, ranging from “iPlan” to “Mali” and “Amagear”. Back with another collection titled Mayvis, an album christened after his grandmother, the superstar enlisted the help of frequent collaborators such as Sykes, Zee Nxumalo, and Funky QLA, among others such as Nkosazana Daughter and Thukuthela to compile a playlist of party bangers and freeway soundtracks to play with the windows down.
Dlala Thukzin | SUPPLIED
With twelve songs in the package, Mayvis is a standard 3 Step project that feature Thukzin’s signature ear-shattering claps, playful xylophonic chimes, and sporadic warped woodwind treatment, instrument selections that blend well with the temper of afrohouse and elements of afrosoul. The tonal reverberations of each song imbue the album with a triumphant air, with celebrations covering reveling in success and fritting one’s youthful days to treasuring the phenomenon of romance or simply having a good time just listening to a beat constructed with as much synchronous chaos as a climate-chiseled natural landmark.
Mayvis is a staightforward listen that doesn’t need one to take a couple of spins to know exactly what’s going on. If Thukzin hasn’t arranged the songs to rebuke gossip culture and negative talk through Nxumalo on “Mahlalela” or by having Thukuthela and Sykes denounce the same thing on “Indaba”, then he’s building a love story through the quills of Nkosazana Daughter and ilovelethu on “Ubuhle” and Blaqseed’s contribution on “Ungenzani”. The album also champions progression in life (“Asilali” and “Moja”), creating a thematic shape that may not be polyhedronic but excels in its simplistic nature to get the message across without loading the album down with a mix of themes that toy with the album’s compass.
Check out “Mali 2.0”:
There are also songs in the album that serve as either instrumental breaks, such as the opening song as well as his collabo with QLA on “Smoothie”, or Thukzin’s production playground, as seen on “Mali 2.0”, a dynamic highlight of the album which samples his amapiano hit “Phuze” and features sumptuous performances from Aya Mnisi and the Mpura-esque Uncool MC.
Coherent and to-the-point, Mayvis sees Thukzin go back to the basics—not that he ever lost touch with them—which results in a release that might be considered safe but is guaranteed to tickle the fancies of 3 Step lovers given the excellence of the output.
