Track of the Week is “Night Repair” by Angel-Ho, who joins M.anifest, Nástio Mosquito, Nongoma, RVWR and other still-to-be announced acts in the line-up for Design Indaba Music 2015. This cacophonous and strident track takes on a startlingly nostalgic sound dating back to the time when The Prodigy and Nine Inch Nails dominated MTV and experimental mecha-sound was the order of the day. “Night Repair” is the inside of a blacksmith’s forge, with a roughly manufactured intro of hot metal-on-metal syncopation that achieves Angel-Ho’s intention to stand out.
Angel-Ho is the controversial persona of Cape Town music and performance artist Angelo Valerio. As he explains in our interview with him, he uses his performance persona to start a dialogue about classism, identity, sexuality, gender and more. Using “arbitrary sound” accompanied by conceptual drag, playing with masculine and feminine gesture and dress, Angel-Ho dabbles in NY ballroom bass, bubblegum bass, industrial bass, electronic synths, minimal house, chanting and her very own “Angelwave” sound.
She has performed at Cape Town events such as the Cape Town Art Fair, YOH!, EVOL at Hectic on Hope and The Assembly, and as a supporting act to the groundbreaking kwaai artist Umilio’s music videos.
When asked where her inspiration lies, Angel-Ho doesn’t hesitate. “...Total Freedom AKA Ashland Mines, one of the world’s best DJs. If it were not for him pushing me to create my own sound ... he honestly sparked the creation for this sound work,” he says. “I intend to create an environment that is not comfortable as if you were going to a theatre or gallery. I want to use sound to accentuate my movement and the thoughts of the audience.”
Read our Q&A with Angel-Ho here.
Catch Angel-Ho live at Design Indaba Music 2015 on Thursday, 26 February at The Side Show. More info here.
