Abantu
Before humans

"Lesser bands would no doubt have struggled with an 11-year absence between releases and the possibility that time out of mind might render them irrelevant to fans. To their credit, and largely down to the exploratory magpie nature of their sound, BLK JKS with Abantu/Before Humans remain as startling as before, but the album feels less messy than their earlier work. They've obviously spent a long time industriously rehearsing this material, and they've morphed into a controlled unit ... The magnetically blissful and crudely assembled crashes of their earlier work may have been switched out for more economically structured concerns this time round but the unique compassion of their staccato vision remains elastic and unbroken. As they did once before, BLK JKS have crafted an album that`s as vibrant, misunderstood, passionate and vastly captivating as the place from which it came".

Read review

"There was no South African indie rock scene to speak of when the group emerged from [Johannesburg's] Spruitview district in the mid-2000s, and their distinctive sound - a blend of kwaito, dub and township soul fired through a prism of dissonant alternative rock - made them a hot ticket ... On their debut, BLK JKS sounded excited by the prospect of exploring their influences, and that excitement was infectious. But time has brought focus and Abantu feels more comfortable in its skin as a result. Its sound is rooted in windswept desert rock, albeit one often punctuated with feats of carefully controlled rhythmic pyrotechnics and bursts of brass courtesy of new recruit Tebogo Seitei. The loss of a lead singer is a tough one to bounce back from but the group have reacted to Buthelezi's departure by all stepping up to the mic, singing in chorus or contributing parts. It's a potent combination too. Consider Running - Asibaleki/Sheroes Theme, which collides snaking dub basslines, fiery afrobeat horns and wild percussion breakdowns before closing on a group chorus that hangs heavy with pathos".

Read review

"[A spectacular] coming together of past, present and futurist Afro-diaspora sounds, to explore their homeland's cultural legacy. Opener "Yela Oh!" strikes an anticipatory warning with ostinato bass and chanting atop talking drums; "Running - Asibaleki/Sheroes' Theme"'s simmering volcano of psych, prog and Afro rock erupts midpoint into sparkling township jazz. Then there's "Harare"'s nurturing folk voiced by Morena Leraba and the hypnotic trance of "Maiga Mali Mansa Musa", featuring Vieux Farka Touré and Money Mark. Altogether, an exhilarating, energised return".