Earlier today, Solange announced plans for the first release on her Saint Records imprint. Saint Heron is a compilation of new tracks from artists like Kelela, Kingdom, Cassie and Solange herself.
Another inclusion on the compilation is an artist I've admire for a while: Brussels-born and Cape Town-reared musician Yannick Ilunga, aka Petite Noir. Ilunga, previously played as part of South African electropop outfit Popskaar, but his work as Petite Noir is darker, permeated by a brooding intensity that's mirrored in the videos for his songs.
He himself describes the music as “noir wave” or “new wave with an African aesthetic”. His native influences are certainly present and a number of his tracks are anchored by spectres of African shuffles. Other elements, meanwhile, hark back to the gloomy sounds of New Order, Depeche Mode or Joy Division, with a smattering of Foals and Bloc Party thrown in for good measure.
I'm looking forward to hearing what he's come up with for Miss Knowles's collection, but my favourite of his tracks to date is probably 'Noirse'.
