Batisso offers borderless electronic vision from Ethiopia

The ongoing fusion of traditional music with electronic elements is what connects the younger generation, bringing back a lot of the forgotten sounds. Still, older listeners fear that the fusion is diluting the original flavour of native Ethiopian sounds.

That is where Batisso comes in. A young producer of experimental music and sound art in Addis Ababa, the artist has always worked at the boundaries of music. He may have attracted less media attention in the past than many of his contemporaries, but his output has consistently been meticulous. A connoisseur of electro, techno, funk and native Ethiopian sounds, among other influences, he takes in elements from an inexhaustible array of sources, creating tracks that adhere to their own unique internal logic.

His eponymous debut can be best described as futurist traditional music – proof that sound ‘dilution’ does not necessarily suggest a negative connotation, as long as the blend does not overpower the original sound.

The central figure of creating ambitious musical fusion in Ethiopia is 77-year-old jazz musician and composer Mulatu Astakte. He was the first to realise that the distinctive indigenous modes and texture could blend with those of American jazz to create Ethio-jazz in the 1970s.

Batisso follows in Mulatu’s footsteps with this 10-track compilation, which exposes the younger generation to the rich cultural palette, simultaneously creating a new homegrown sonic lineage in the process. It offers a forward-looking interpretation of genres that peaked in the East African country in the 1960s and ’70s, such as tizita, bati, ambassal and anchi-hoye. The project also boasts a remarkable enmeshment of Ethiopian traditional instruments such as the masenqo, krar and washint.

Most tracks on Batisso are instrumentals, but those with vocals explore the azmari repertoire, a production technique that fuses dub, psych-funk and oriental sounds. An azmari musician is comparable to the West African griot, and the sonic style is prevalent with offerings by the likes of Okay Temiz, Astatke and The Heliocentrics.

‘Zefitret’ kicks off the album with frenetic, tense energy, like a cinematic chase scene in an action movie. Taut electronic beats build up and break beautifully, but it is the instrument that makes this number a perfect opener. Tantalising motifs launch track No. 2, ‘Awra Qine’. This song features vocals by an azmari accompanied by the washint instrument, which is also present in the interlude ‘Beluye Hadesu’.

‘Bati 2050’ is just as rich a soundscape, but more upbeat and funkier. The masenqo is heavily present here, allowing Batisso to inject the native bati music with a fresh, contemporary edge. However, it is ‘Addisu Azmari’ that is the real gem. It is propelled by trap music and the kick drum, adding extra dimension and depth to an already exceptional electronic piece. The azmari is particularly stunning on this track.

Another standout track is ‘Kebre Negest’, which translates from Amharic as “the glory of the kings”. This track, which features music producer Timo, pays tribute to the Biblical King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, as well as their son Menelik, who famously brought the Ark of the Covenant to Ethiopia. The electronic beats echo in the background and the krar hums avidly – providing the melody before the computerised piano sounds add a dreamy quality to it.

Batisso also teams up with music producer Yonzima on ‘Sostegnaw Semay’. Batisso and his two collaborators are among the young emerging Ethiopian producers pushing for experimental electronic music to create a platform and following for themselves as well as other artists interested in pursuing the relationship between native sounds and technology. The remaining songs offer a technical production that looks to the past in order to move forward.

With this collection, Batisso excellently delivers not only sonically, but also in his commitment to the intersection of tech and native Ethiopian music. One can only wonder where this 20-year-old producer goes from here – It could be very interesting to discover.

Stream Batisso here.

Artist: Batisso
Album: Batisso
Year: 2021