Welcome to Ear to the Sound, a show exploring South Africa’s sonic scenes and subcultures through the work of music makers and audio artists.

Mx Blouse, a Joburg-based artist, singer, and rapper, came into the limelight in 2018 with a genre-blurring kwaito sound—deeply rhythmic, electronic, and steeped in nostalgia. While kwaito remains central to their artistry, their 2024 EP, Emotional Home, marks a shift, trading club-driven beats for lofi textures and introspective storytelling. It’s a project shaped by spiritual reflection, self-awareness, and a new approach to rhythm and groove.

Host of the show, Richard Rumney, connected with the artist to speak about the journey to and through the EP.

All recording, editing, mixing, mastering and artwork by Richard Rumney.

Daev Martian's Digital Feedback is a modern concept album / EP. Rather than just dropping a collection of beats and features, the gifted musician, song-writer, vocalist and producer decided to present a body of work that tells a specific Joburg story cycle of solitude transforming into confinement into human connection into escape and disconnection back into solitude.

Host of the show, Richard Rumney, I caught up with him to get an overview of this story taking a specific look and listen to the track Circumspection.

Music used in the show:

Richard the Third - Tabby Cats *
Richard the Third - Filter Coffee *
Daev Martian - Cone Falls
Daev Martian - Digital Feedback (ft. Ndugu.Ndugu)
Daev Martian - Gratitude
Daev Martian - Self...
Daev Martian - Never Changes
Daev Martian - Dreams Too Far
Daev Martian - Circumspection (Third Dub) *
Daev Martian - Circumspection

* Not available for streaming / DL yet

All recording, editing, mixing, mastering and artwork by Richard Rumney.

The artist Sió, a singer, songwriter, storyteller, and poet, has crafted and found a unique space as a music maker. This space is somewhere where she can be the artist she needs to be, finding a balance between vulnerable, layered, and ethereal with powerful spiritual energy.

This is exemplified on her track Gaslight (Caught Fire), produced by the exceptional Daev Martian. It comes from deep within her heart and recent experiences with intimate relationships with lyrics that speak to themes of anger, hurt and love.

Host of the show, Richard Rumney, sat down with Sió to speak about the lyrics of the song, breaking them down line by line.

Music used in the show:

Sio - Gaslight (Caught Fire)
Elements of Sio's 'Gaslight (Caught Fire) remixed and edited as background music
Richard the Third - Never Can Say
Richard the Third - A Weak Spot
Dwson - Forbidden ft. Sio (ASMR Dub)

(Not all music is available for streaming / DL yet)

All recording, editing, mixing, mastering and artwork by Richard Rumney.