A record woven deep into the tapestry of South African electronic music, ask any SA selector about Blackwhole’s ‘1000 Seconds’ and its certain to evoke a reaction. Now Kid Fonque’s Stay True Sounds picks up the record. After a long search for founding member of Blackwhole Mr Cee to receive his blessing to give ‘1000 Seconds’ a global release on 27 November (having previously only been available in SA), this essential record will now reach international audiences for the first time commercially.
Alongside the release, Kid Fonque has also produced a mini-doc about the legacy of the record 1000 Seconds: The Biggest Record You’ve Never Heard Of which premieres at 7am GMT on Wednesday 27 November via the Stay True Sounds YouTube channel.
“Many people have called this song ‘timeless’, it feels different for me because it’s something I’ve been with for almost 20 years. I think ‘1000 Seconds’ is one of those spiritual songs and a blessing that God gave us to share with everyone. I’m so glad that the world now gets to hear the song.” – Blackwhole
Released 17 years ago, emerging out of the local Kwaito scene of Johannesburg’s townships to become a record bag necessity for many DJs, the uniquely South African groove of ‘1000 Seconds’ has had a far-reaching musical impact, resonating with dancefloors across the country. Coined a “stone cold classic,” by many of the biggest names in the genre, Kid Fonque has commissioned a mini-documentary around the record, with many of SA’s most celebrated DJs contributing to the piece. Featuring Oskido, Vinny Da Vinci, Mōrda and Glen Lewis, ‘1000 Seconds: The Biggest Record You’ve Never Heard Of’ will come out in line with the global release of the record.
“I think personally this record was way ahead of its time … when I first heard it I could see the reaction of the crowd, the crowd just went insane … Man, it took the country by storm, a new vibe, a new thing.” – Vinny Da Vinci
“You found that record everywhere, in the shebeens [unlicensed township bars/taverns], at street bashes … Even when I play it now, you would never think it was created 17 years ago … What a classic” – Oskido
Described by South African legend Oskido as “way ahead of its time” in the documentary, this innovative cut now gets a long-awaited worldwide outing, ready to turn the heads of selectors once again, this time beyond its native land of SA. The release also includes a remix from Stay True Sounds mainstay Atmos Blaq, a key force in the development of the 3-Step genre, he adds his effortless, slow-burn aesthetic to the essential track.
“I always felt the song didn’t get the kind of recognition it deserved. It is one of the most amazing songs to come out of South Africa because it had all elements, a bit of gqom, a bit of soul, a bit of deep house, a bit of tech … It was 17 years ahead of its time” – Glen Lewis
Blackwhole ‘1000 Seconds’ is out today (Wednesday 27 November), with the accompanying documentary ‘1000 Seconds: The Biggest Record You’ve Never Heard Of’ now live on the Stay True Sounds YouTube channel.
