Photo credit: Mulugeta Teklemariam

Ethiopian electronic producer, Mikael Seifu, is rising up in the ranks of the industry for his unique approach to electronic music. He is known for coining his own genre: “Ethiopiyawi Electronic.‰” This is term Seifu uses to describe the music being produced in Addis-Ababa by himself and his peers. Seifu is represented by New York-based RVNG Intl. records.

Seifu was born and raised in Addis Ababa and went on to study music at Ramapo College in New Jersey. The wonderful thing about Seifu‰’s sound is that he does not try to westernize Ethiopian music. Seifu takes multifarious inspirations from Ethiopia: such as Ethio-Jazz from the country‰’s golden age and Ethiopian folk. Some of these legendary Ethio-jazz musicians include Mulatu Astatke and Alemayehu Eshete during the 60s and 70s. The music from this era is darkly fascinating. With Seifu‰’s releases, his tracks become a “brew of estranged styles,‰” as describe by his social media bio.

His Zelelam Mix was rated as one of the 10 best mixes in March 2015 by Pitchfork. The mix works as an accompaniment to his album, Zelalam(2016). The mix, while extremely unique, feels very calm, reflective and solemn.

We hear a host of sounds: from string instruments, to flutes, to ambient noise; all put together to create a rhythmic dream. Seifu aimed to create something “eternally Ethiopian.‰” Seifu first gained international attention after releasing “The Lost Drum Beat‰” in 2015. Boiler Room described this track specifically to be like “melding electronic hardware‰” and “nocturnal by nature.‰Û

The fascinating thing about Seifu‰’s electronic releases is that he preserves Ethiopian music in some futuristic time capsule, while creating something entirely different. This genre – Ethiopiyawi Electronic – is best described by Bandcamp as “an ever-evolving mix of dubstep-influenced electronica and explorative Ethiopian folk…‰Û

Another great musician to check out is Endeguena Mulu – better known as Ethiopian Records. Mulu is also from Addis Ababa and is also at the forefront of this new mind-bending genre. The Ethio-Jazz references are even more clear in Mulu‰’s releases.

The depth and texture of Mikael Seifu‰’s releases are staggering: reminiscent of tracks by the revered Flying Lotus. Seifu‰’s releases are overbrimming with esoteric details. The freedom and looseness in his EPs are seen to be a reflection of the spirituality of Ethiopia: namely, “its quest for realities and truths beyond what can be gleaned from the hollow rituals of everyday experience ‰” (Bandcamp). Technology and music has allowed for individuals like Seifu and Mulu to take control of their identity, while gracing us with music that is truly a gift.