Raw Space

There’s an unmistakable political edge to Nyege Nyege and sister label Hakuna Kulala, from the leftist gqom of Phelimuncasi, to the environmental activism of Fulu Miziki and the feminist and queer work of DJ Catu Diosis and South Sudanese DJ and producer Turkana. Dubbed the “demon of the Nile” by local politicians, Ugandan activist, DJ, and producer Authentically Plastic embed their politics into their abrasive, jagged electronics, exploring themes of power, gender binaries, and colonial violence in Hakuna Kulala debut Raw Space. They’ve been central to the development of the queer and underground music scene in Kampala, co-founding the event series ANTI-MASS with Nnasi and Turkana, and their experience of the East African music scene and the power dynamics inherent to it feed into Raw Space like field research into an academic thesis. The first impression is one of chaos and almost overwhelming intensity, but precise polyrhythms and repetitive, ritualistic themes are quick to emerge from the noise.