Apple Music releases Isgubhu DJ Mix featuring GoldMax

The Isgubhu series is dedicated to showcasing African dance music and the producers, DJs and underground figures shaping the continent’s club culture. It regularly highlights genres such as Afro house, 3-step, gqom and other forms of electronic music emerging across Africa.

GoldMax, known for his bass-heavy gqom productions and emotive style, contributes a set described as a high-energy selection reflecting his current influences and live performances. His work is widely associated with blending rhythmic intensity and emotional undertones within South Africa’s dance music scene.

Speaking about the selection process, GoldMax said the tracks were chosen based on current personal and audience response. “I picked these tracks based on what’s moving me right now and what I know connects with the people,” he said. “Some of these songs I’ve been playing in my sets and seeing the reaction live. That’s always the real test. If it works on the dancefloor, it belongs here.”

He added that the mix is intended to reflect both energy and emotion on the dancefloor. “The mix is high energy, raw and emotional at the same time. It’s that feeling you get in the club when everything just clicks: the music, the people, the moment.”

The release also arrives amid continued global interest in African electronic music. GoldMax noted the genre’s expanding reach while emphasising its cultural roots. “African dance music is only getting bigger. The sound is evolving, but we’re still rooted in who we are: our rhythms, our energy, our stories. We’re not just part of the conversation anymore, we’re leading it,” he said.

The mix incorporates elements of Afro house, amapiano and electronic music, reflecting the hybrid styles increasingly common in contemporary African club music. It includes collaborations and tracks featuring several South African producers and DJs, among them DJ Tira and other contributors from the country’s electronic scene.

The Isgubhu platform continues to operate as a curated space within Apple Music highlighting African dance music releases, alongside a regularly updated playlist series.

This month’s Isgubhu playlist cover also features South African electronic artist JAZZWRLD, whose track ‘Ningikhonzele’ is the lead single from his upcoming project Secrets of the WRLD.

Contributors: Sipho Elton Ndlovu, Mandla Mhlongwa and George Seloane