Spread the Social Love:
The Pomp & Clout Mix Series is premiering a new mixtape by The Very Best, Anzanga. Volume 22 of the ongoing series (which also features mixes by Diplo, Nadastrom and others), Anzanga follows on the heels of the group’s critically acclaimed second album MTMTMK, out now on Moshi Moshi.
The group is also holding a fan contest to guess what the album title MTMTMK stands for; fans can submit guesses by Tweeting @realTheVeryBest with the hashtag “#MTMTMK” or via the band’s Facebook page and the grand prize winner for the best guess receives a hand-made, one of a kindThe Very Bestjacket.
Comprised of Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya and London-based producer Johan Hugo (Radioclit, We Don’t Belong in Pacha),The Very Best garnered extensive critical praise for both Warm Heart of Africa and their string of online mixtapes with the Los Angeles Times calling them “the best advertisement for blogs since, well, ever”.
Johan notes: The album features guest spots by Amadou & Mariam, Baaba Maal and K’naan, among others.
The Very Best first met in a London second-hand shop in 2007 haggling over a bicycle. After Johan and Radioclit partner Etienne Tron invited Esau into their recording studio, the group recorded their first mixtape which quickly went viral and has amassed 850,000 downloads to date. After the release of 2009’s Warm Heart of Africa—which featured guest spots from a number of artists including MIA and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig—Etienne departed Radioclit leaving Johan and Esau to work as a duo on MTMTMK.
The group is also holding a fan contest to guess what the album title MTMTMK stands for; fans can submit guesses by Tweeting @realTheVeryBest with the hashtag “#MTMTMK” or via the band’s Facebook page and the grand prize winner for the best guess receives a hand-made, one of a kindThe Very Bestjacket.
Comprised of Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya and London-based producer Johan Hugo (Radioclit, We Don’t Belong in Pacha),The Very Best garnered extensive critical praise for both Warm Heart of Africa and their string of online mixtapes with the Los Angeles Times calling them “the best advertisement for blogs since, well, ever”.
Johan notes:
"We had a big step with the second album—we had to evolve. This time we wrote, produced and recorded together simultaneously. It was a much more collaborative effort."
The Very Best first met in a London second-hand shop in 2007 haggling over a bicycle. After Johan and Radioclit partner Etienne Tron invited Esau into their recording studio, the group recorded their first mixtape which quickly went viral and has amassed 850,000 downloads to date. After the release of 2009’s Warm Heart of Africa—which featured guest spots from a number of artists including MIA and Vampire Weekend’s Ezra Koenig—Etienne departed Radioclit leaving Johan and Esau to work as a duo on MTMTMK.
