Local DJ and musician The Lazarus Man will be the first South African DJ to be listed on the Monkey Shoulder Global Mixcloud account, joining other international artists from England, Scotland, The Netherlands, US, France, and Canada.
The Lazarus Man’s hour-long mix will be uploaded to the official Monkey Shoulder Mixcloud account at 7pm on Friday.
Global brand ambassador for Monkey Shoulder, Joe Petch, said: “Since the start of the Covid-19 lockdown measures in early 2020, Monkey Shoulder has been raising money to support hospitality charities across the world.
Monkey Shoulder wanted to help our DJs as they are a huge part of our events and our culture.
“Our Mixcloud account is dedicated to mixes that incorporate an approachable style which is inclusive, upbeat, and fun, just like Monkey Shoulder.
“It's all about upbeat and positive vibes.
“We wanted to allow flexibility to ensure that individual DJs’ styles come through in their mix.
“We’ve had a huge response from artists big and small – clocking up almost 4.5 million minutes of playtime to date, with the whole world tuning in for some audio escapism!
“This project isn’t going anywhere, and we aim to continue the project!
“This has helped support artists who have experienced gig cancellations and empty calendars for a long time now.”
Speaking about the opportunity to join the Monkey Shoulder Mixcloud page, The Lazarus Man (real name Lazarus Mathebula) said, “I played some of the other mixes in the Monkey Shoulder sessions and honestly, it’s an amazing platform for global music.
The variety and styles are so different, so to be able to bring a South African sensibility to house music, to the sessions is such a pleasure.”
Commenting on the inspiration for his track, Lazarus explained, “I honestly imagined being a small speakeasy with great people, I then thought what I’d like to hear if I was in that space even though I mixed this at home.
“So imagine an intimate club with close friends and a persistent groove to carry the mood. That’s what this is.”