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ZIK ZAK

by Ancient Astronauts

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i must’ve gone mad i must’ve gone crazy when baby say gugugaga save self talk true i got bare necessities (ooh) tryna make sense of all of this (ooh) any drug for all of this (ooh) put it in a joke for pagliacci (ooh) tears of a clown (tears tears) wearing me down (oohh) “doctor o doctor i need you now (now) I need you now” (now) Cos if i take another step make another move oh the world is moving oh i might fall down (To the ground ) oh the world is moving oh i might fall down (To the ground ey) Cos if i take another step make another move oh the world is moving oh i might fall down (Down down) oh the world is moving oh i might fall down (DOWN!) i must’ve gone mad i must’ve gone crazy when baby say gugugaga queen of quasi quarrels release resistance save self talk true I got bare necessities (ooh) tryna make sense of all of this (ooh) any drug for all of this (ooh) put it in a joke for pagliacci (ooh) tears of a clown (tears tears) wearing me down (oohh) “doctor o doctor i need you now”
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Warn Dem Chorus Ghetto youth ngamba Topowa Newankubadde embeera ng'ekunyiga nze kyesaba butapowa Ghetto youth omuliro toguzikiza gwe gwa nyabingi ogwookya buli ewali ekizikiza Ghetto youth never give up Nomatta how they pressure you They fight you Me sing say never give up Ghetto youth never put down the fire That's a real bingi fire it a haffi Burn fi make you higher Verse 1 Njagala otunule mu Ghetto Abantu babonabona omuli abakulu Awamu n'abato People got no where to settle Just to get that little bread Amazima dem haffi fight a battle Naye ate sagala gwe weyise bubi Olweyo embeera gyoyitamu Era ekuyisa obubi Beera mugumu era beera muvumu Kuba era kekasera kenyini Akamalawo ekibi Chorus Verse 2 Kano akasera ko ka bunabbi Sagala bbo bakulimbe limbe Bakukozese ensobi Yawula ekirungi ku kibi Kuba buli woyita waberawo Ekirungi n' Ekibi Naye ndaba obulimba bungi Awamu n'obutamanya N'okubuzabuzibwa nakwo kungi Buzzi bwe misango bungi Nze kyensaba teweyisa bubi Mumaaso ojjakuba burungi Chorus Verse 3 Never let money change you Stay Positive and never let The wicked people trick you Tokiriza nsimbi kukyusa tebakukozesa lwansimbi maaso Ojja kwejjusa Kyekusaba beera n'empisa Ebyensi byakugondera Bwoba ngottaddemu ekisa Bangi mbalaba bbo tebalina Kisa nga bajjudde ettima Mumaaso tebalina mikisa Chorus ENGLISH TRANSLATION: Warn dem Thats an arrow when it hits it comes out with the guts I want you to look into the ghetto People are suffering including the old and the young ones People got no where to settle Just to get that little bread the truth is dem haffi fight a battle So i dont want you to act negative Because of the system pressures treating you negatively Always be strong and always be brave Because this is the right time to end this wickedness This is a time of prophecy I dont want them to deceive you And lead you astray Differenciate between good and evil Because every where you pass there is good and evil But i see alot of lies Alot of ignorance Alot of misinformation Alot of crime All i pray is dont get negative Your future will be positive Never let money change you Stay positive and never let the wicked people trick you Dont let money make you switch Dont get exploited for money Because in the future you will repent All i ask you is to be disciplined The world wil treat you cool if you are disciplined and kind Have seen alot of people with no mercy full of envy and greed their futures rip more bad lucks Ghetto youth i say dont give up Even though you going through hard times All i pray is never to give up Ghetto youth dont put down the fire Its the Nyabingi fire that burns away the wicked Ghetto youth never give up No matter how they pressure you They fight you me sing say never give up Ghetto youth never put down the fire That a real Bingi fire burn to make you higher
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Tebamanyi x 4 Tebamanyi - what I've been through Tebamanyi - my insecurity Tebamanyi – the pressure that I put Tebamanyi - so just let them me be There's a box, and I don't sit I can't fit in it, But i'm not too thin, I'm just that thick My hair ain't fit Just right too blue, Too blue for you, too bad your blind Blinded by mine I can't see your hate You put on me Hold it far, that far from this This Golden Heart, Tainted by purity And all of my scars, my insecurities They live with me, and I carry mine Tebamanyi – They don’t know me People think all kinda shit when they see me They don't see a down ass chick when they see me All they see is ass and tits and tats and bits that they can't quit No they can’t quit Tebamanyi - what I've been through Tebamanyi - my insecurity Tebamanyi – the pressure that I put Tebamanyi - so just let them me be, Tebamanyi Tebamanyi – where I’ve been Tebamanyi - my insecurity Tebamanyi – the pressure I put on me Tebamanyi - My demons so let me be Walking through my Struggles and my life That you don’t know about I And I don’t know why You judge me like You know what I Go through when I’m all alone And you don’t know Walking through my Struggles and my life That you don’t know about I And I don’t know why You judge me yet you don’t know what I What I go through when I’m all alone Tebamanyi There's a box, And I don't sit I can't fit in it I'm just that thick My hair ain't big Just right too blue, But too blue for you Too bad your blind Blinded by mine I can't see your hate That you put on me Hold it far That far from me
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[Verse 1] In the eye of the storm we remain calm Refusing to engage snakes and charms As we select dissect corporate monoliths Babylon temples filled with filth Digital gangsters in Zuckerberg’s realm With data policies designed to overwhelm When we gonna wake up and call out their bluff Stick it to the man make them know we had enough I hear you all say yeah we gangsta like that Pawns in the game well that’s a true fact Preoccupied with all the vanity The poison toxic masculinity Time to shake the boys knock in some sense No half stepping forget the pretense Too many lives lost situation tense Sick and tired of clowns sitting on the fence [Chorus] Who you be na who you see Perfect imperfection Photoshop reality Who you be na who you see Perfect imperfection Photoshop reality [Verse 2] Addicted to likes and all the fake clicks Virtual egos craving quick fix Distorted realities in the matrix Got everybody falling for their prewritten script Broken reflections suspended in time Children of denial in the bogus paradigm Where you gonna run when they control your mind Ain’t nobody see when the blind lead the blind Deep in the barracoon survival is the grind Everyman for self when the soul’s brutalized How we gonna heal and bridge the disconnect Too many lost followers no self respect The pain ain’t vanishing it ain’t going nowhere No matter how you run you gotta face your fear The choices are yours demons are clear No path to peace if you stay insincere Who you be na who you see Perfect imperfection Photoshop reality Who you be na who you see Perfect imperfection Photoshop reality
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Verse 1 Anytime I phone home like ET The government stereoscoping BS in 3D Politicians are criminals all sleazy Humping the masses spreading da verbal vd Pd. P apc they all greedy Same toilet different crook / robbing the needy Make the big bank disappear and blame it on the genie No diss- but this is not lepa gawu boy This a war like the Greeks when they battled Troy Politicians are worse than any yahoo boy Uh I know your next move you ignoramus You must have gone bananas for thinking I’m backing scammers I wish they all die alongside the evil planners Where are your manners be quite u no day fear court They d reason why we get badded up at d airport I’m pointing fingers at419ers it’s their Fault Verse 2 Ur biggest fan is a stranger they do the most for you Ur biggest hater is always somebody close to you Knife in his left - drink in his right. Toasting you To Long life behind ur back they roasting you Hear me well life is nothing like a fairy tale We victims of vicious attacks and we barely sell Cos I rap in English and I’m repping africa It’s a cold world word to North Pole antartica I’m da artika -don of the one line blinder They say rap local - but they timbs are made in China The nationwide news is in English dats a minor I’m ah -Do what I do. Middle finger foes No free cyphers or shows it’s all about the doe Uh …when you around long - they stick they nose up. The moment - that you skip town your stock goes up. Put in work and I garuntee that your phone blows up
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about

“Run go tell your friend Ancient Astronauts strike again!”
Don Letts (Culture Clash Radio / BBC Radio 6 Music/UK)

“Yes Yes & Yes. Thanks for the connection. This is lovely music. I have a bi daily stream on Twitch. These will get lots of play on the shows!”
Osunlade (Yoruba Soul / USA)

“Boom shot! Wicked tracks. I love your Sonics and production sound. Lots for me to rinse.”
Dubmatix (CAN)

“Well received, thanks. Some really unique bits, liking the riddim tracks especially. Bless up.”
Liondub (USA)


ALBUM INFO:

Over three years in the making, ZIK ZAK is an African musical odyssey, featuring some of the freshest talent from nine countries on the mother continent. Tying this remarkable range of artists together are German production team ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS, weaving the vocal talents of the African singers into their distinctive “Boom Dub” sound. Drawing on Hip Hop, Dancehall, Roots Reggae, Bass Music, Soul, Electronica and Breakbeat, the production incorporates live instruments and musical influences from all over Africa and its diaspora.

The concept behind all these tracks is ZIK ZAK (“Zig-Zag” in English), mapping out each artist’s life of tragedy and success, in a context of global inequality and ruthless capitalism. This album responds to the urgent need to understand the daily struggle for survival by creative artists and musicians from the global south. Each artist gives a unique voice to their rocky way through the contemporary African landscape, revealing a new perspective from a different city, country, religion, and ideology. This is ZIK ZAK.

It's easy to forget how much harder it is for artists and musicians to survive away from the relative comfort of the richer parts of the world. In Africa, employment levels are shockingly low and the welfare state non-existent, so that most artists live in a state of constant precariousness, with nothing to fall back on when the music industry fails to pay. Yet the mainstream African music industry constantly feeds us a capitalist wet dream, with fantastical images of artists living a “bling-bling” lifestyle of fast cars, swimming pools and supermodels with inflated chests. The artists featured on ZIK ZAK have all rejected this preposterous mythology, instead bringing us real messages from their everyday lives, demonstrating more talent, creativity and authenticity in a single album, than in a lifetime of over-produced, commercial music videos.

In ZIK ZAK, particular focus is on the intense and vibrant scene in Uganda, where local, mutant forms of Afrobeats and Dancehall have evolved away from the more familiar, globalized products of Nigeria and Jamaica. ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS established a base and partnership with local studio East African Records, allowing them to dig deep in the wells of talent in Uganda’s capital, Kampala. Elsewhere, they established friendships and musical relationships with enlightened artists as far afield as Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Togo, Guinea and Senegal, in many cases meeting the artists in person. DOGU, the DJ of ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS, toured East Africa twice with artists on the album, spreading the gospel of ZIK ZAK across festivals, clubs and bars in the region. Even in their hometown of Cologne, the production team engage with diaspora artists, recording the percussion for ZIK ZAK with the African drummers and percussionists of DOGU´s party series Family Affairs Cologne – Afro Urban Club Session.

The ZIK ZAK project has provided these underground African artists an opportunity to reach a new worldwide audience, building on the success of ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS. This German production duo – aka DOGU and KABANJAK - have been working together since 2001, producing and touring with some of the biggest names in the alternative music scene: The Pharcyde, Tippa Irie, Akua Naru, The Jungle Brothers, Raashan Ahmad, DJ Brace, Nickodemus, Thievery Corporation, BANTU and many more. They are respected for their ethical and activist stance, as well as for their ground-breaking music: recently they were commissioned by Pulitzer-Prize-winning author Ian Urbina to work on the soundtrack to his important environmental book: “The Outlaw Ocean”.

For the ANCIENT ASTRONAUTS, this new album is an important project both musically and ideologically. In their own words: “With ZIK ZAK, we want to give a platform to young talents from Africa that are too good to ignore – they must be heard internationally. Africa is our motherland too, in the end. Civilization comes from Africa and that´s where rhythm comes from. After too many years of slavery and exploitation of the African countries, it is time to shine light on the great talent of Mother Africa.”

credits

released January 22, 2021

Lyrics written by:
Song 1 and 4 written by Alex Namugera. ong 2 and 17 written by Aineomugisha Alimansi Wanzu. Song 3 written by Joyce Olong. Song 5 written by Banyana Alice. Song 6 written by Leonel Jose Wilfred Manuel. Song 7 written by Maureen Rutabingwa. Song 8 written by Tia Godfrey. Song 9 written by Thomas Adegoke Odukoya. Song 10 written by Stephen Makoha. Song 11 written by Kasibante Edward. Song 12 written by Olusegun Ayodele Adewale Babatunde. Song 13 written by Ife Piankhi Menfesawe Imani. Song 14 written by Tekya Abraham. Song 15 written by Michel Cesar Cardoso. Song 16 written by Kalanda Peter. Song 18 written by Jimson Julius Kivuyo. Song 19 written by Echengu Jonathan Letia. Song 20 written by Mamadou Konkobo.

All music composed by Ingo Moell.

Produced by Ancient Astronauts. Mixed by Kabanjak at Evergreen Studio.

All instruments & programming by Kabanjak.

Additional musicians:
Sekou Titina Camara: Drums & Djembe
Tofier Jery N Sougan: Djembe
Mouhamadou Sall: Djembe & Calabash

Album concept & coordination by DOGU.

Published by Oneminded Soul Publishing.

Mastering by Artur Wnorowski / TurnUp Mastering.

Cover art by HAGOP. Layout by Lisse / Brushwood Entertainment.

Executive producer Thomas Katongole-Strauch.

Much love & respect to David Cecil and East African Records in Kampala for being such a big help with organization, recording and touring logistics in East Africa. Many thanks to Wana Benjamin and Muggaga Timothy for recording most of the Ugandan artists for us. You guys at East African Records rock!

All rights reserved.

LC 12393 / GEMA / SRLP 011

P & C 2021 Switchstance Recordings

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Switchstance Recordings Köln, Germany

The label's creed and therefore the style of its producers and DJs is to have ultimate freedom, whether in their musical movements or in "switching" between various styles. The aim of the label is to combine early musical influences such as Funk, Jazz, Latin, 90´s Hip Hop and Reggae with the most progressive techniques of electronic music production.

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