Shimza’s latest EP, “Dreaming”, has been described as a love letter to South Africa's vibrant dance community.
Released on Friday, October 18, the four-part offering has been released just in time for the festive season as it seeks to capture the essence of the South African summer.
It blends Shimza's signature sound with an exciting collaboration of local talents, including amapiano heavyweight Kabza De Small, fellow Afro-Tech producers Vitoto and Jnr SA.
The single also features vocals by both upcoming talent, Zano and multi-award winning R&B soul singer song-writer Manana.
“Dreaming” releases exclusively on Shimza's own label, Kunye.
“This is a very special and personal EP to me, representing where I come from with an all South African feature line-up of both profound and growing talent on my own label Kunye, the platform we created for such things,” he explained in a statement.
“Dreaming is the past, present and future of South African electronic music.”
The South African DJ and producer is renowned as a pioneering force in the Afro Tech music genre as he merges the soulful beats of African heritage with the refined sounds of Europe's electronic music scene.
Over the years, he has carved a unique niche between influential artists like Black Coffee and Solomun.
Since launching his philanthropic “One Man Show” in Soweto, which raises funds for underprivileged children, he has become a central figure in South Africa's music landscape.
His performances have also captivated audiences worldwide, from his recent Cercle performance in France to Boiler Room Johannesburg and festivals and clubs across the globe such as Hi and Pacha Ibiza, Untold Festival, Belgium, Burning man, Caprices Festival Switzerland and many others.
Meanwhile, Shimza launched Kunye, meaning “together” in Xhosa/Zulu, in November 2020. It is an imprint that seeks to provide a bridge between South Africa’s emerging producers and the global stage with artist services company Platoon.
Through this imprint, artists like Thakzin, Blanka Mazimela, Darque and global remixes from Louie Vega, Mele, Rodriguez Jr, Nandu and more have released a carefully curated expression rooted in Shimza’s ethos.
From its inception during the Covid-19 lockdown, Shimza invited a selection of artists to perform in Kunye’s weekly livestream sessions, which over-time evolved into a multi-city open air live event in South Africa, Kenya, London, Paris and more, as it attracts thousands of people to regular events.
Kunye has also become an official curator on Apple Music with its DJ mixes available to audiences worldwide as well as being featured as label of the month on Beatport starting late October.