Sui by Benguela

The 6 original live tracks were recorded in front of 30 friends (and later mixed) at Sui Studios, Cape Town on 08/02/02 by Dirk Hugo assisted by Ramon da Silva. The set was completely improvised, and is presented as it happened with only a couple of small edits on tracks 5 and 6. Mastered by Dave Maclean and Dirk Hugo at Maclean Mastering. Cover painting by Charisse Gardiner. Design by Roxanne Spears.

Press:

"This year the Open Record label almost single-handedly made me believe again (and this time I pray it’s forever) that there was a place in formal release schedules, no matter how small, for local music that did not toe the company line in any shape or form – the label’s exemplary flagship was this marvellous double by the Cape Town post-rock/improv/insert your own description here but for God’s sake listen to them trio who created stunning, ever shifting, ever evolving sonic land (and sea) scapes by the simple expedient of listening to each other carefully and responding intelligently (of course it helps if you play really well and have great ideas to burn) on Disc One, and then getting a gang of remixers with equally great, but radically different, ideas to render them completely unrecognisable on Disc Two" - Richard Haslop's Top 30 albums of 2003 (Roots To Fruits on SAFM)

"The latest from these capetonian rhythm rebels is a humdinger, a smorgasbord of beats, riffs, intense grooves, melodic signatures and musical textures, all carefully captured on one of the most atmospheric albums of the year." - Craig Canavan (27 Aug 03 Pretoria News)

"The improvised, six-song set of the first cd is prime Benguela: Atmospheric, sometimes creepy textures combined with inventive, serpentine rhythms in an ever-shifting miasma of sound that flirts with rock, jazz, and uneasy ambience". - James Garner (Sep 03 Big Issue)

"The excellent experimental trio Benguela has provided a right treat with its new double-album, Sui. The first set was recorded live and this recording was then sent to various remix artists whose interpretations make up the second set, Chop Sui. Each is superb; the first capturing the live wizardry of Benguela perfectly, while the second showcases some of the country's finest electronic talents including Felix Laband and Durban's Captain Asthma. Highly recommended." - Nashen Moodley (Aug 24 Sunday Tribune)

“Uit die tuisgebore Open Record-stal kan julle nou reeds die beursies oopknoop om die nuwe Benguela ("Sui") aan te skaf. Dis 'n dubbel-cd bestaande uit ses Benguela-snitte op nr.1 en (op nr.2) verwerkings van hierdie intieme, fluweelsagte groove tunes deur bekendes soos Felix Laband, Paul Riekert en DJ Opperman. 'n Skitterende cd.” - Die Burger 11/8/03 from Chutney De Ridder Se Pop'se Gedagtes

“Amoungst it's (Open Record’s) first four projects are some of the freshest work by jazz-oriented artists to surface from our shores. The ambient improvisation group Benguela released a double-album featuring live pieces and remixes by local and international electronic producers.” – Julian Jonkers (Bejazzed Journal vol 2, 2003)

Every gig Benguela play is a spur of the moment, creative cesspool that straddles both the ambient and angular.

Brydon Bolton (double bass), Alex Bozas (guitar), Ross Campbell (drums)

benguela.co.za