Thobeka, ZVRI, ALBI X – Aziwe on Paradise Sound System

Paradise Sound System pairs with Thobeka, ZVRI, ALBI X for “Aziwe” — 1 afro house tracks that feel exactly right at the right moment in a set. Clocking in at 4:53 and locked at 125 BPM, this one is built for extended play.

Aziwe [Paradise Sound System]

Behind the Afro House : Release Notes

Thobeka & ZVRI feat. ALBI X present Aziwe, a cross-continental Gqom collaboration connecting Durban and Berlin through rhythm, identity and creative exchange. The track began in South Africa with an original production from ZVRI, an award-winning Durban producer helping shape the evolving GqomTech sound — a progressive extension of Gqom that combines its raw percussive energy with contemporary electronic textures. During Thobeka’s Jägermeister Global Pass journey in Germany, a studio session was arranged in Berlin with Cologne-based Afro-German artist ALBI X, where the pair wrote and recorded the vocals. Those recordings then returned to South Africa, where ZVRI completed the production, mix and master. Global Pass itself is designed around creating international pathways and cross-border collaboration for South African artists, making Aziwe a direct creative outcome of that wider exchange. Musically, Aziwe remains firmly rooted in Gqom: heavy percussion, deep low-end and hypnotic repetition underpin the contrasting vocal performances of Thobeka and ALBI X. Thobeka brings a voice closely connected to Durban’s Gqom movement, while ALBI X adds a distinctly cross-cultural perspective shaped by his Congolese heritage and German upbringing. His multilingual approach across Lingala, French and English reflects an identity that naturally moves between cultures and musical worlds. At the centre of the production, ZVRI continues to push Gqom beyond conventional boundaries while remaining connected to its origins. His work spans production, arrangement, mixing and mastering, with projects such as Medusa and RELENTLESS helping establish him as one of the artists driving the genre’s next chapter. Released through Paradise Sound System, Aziwe captures what meaningful artist mobility can create beyond the stage: new relationships, new music and a genuinely cross-continental collaboration that keeps South African electronic culture at its core while allowing it to travel, connect and evolve globally.

Download ‘Aziwe’ in MP3, FLAC, and AIFF Formats

Tracks, BPM & Key

1. Thobeka, ZVRI, ALBI X – Aziwe Original Mix

   On Paradise Sound System | Oct 30, 2026 | Afro House | 125 BPM | C Major | 4:53