South African Amapiano trailblazer De Mthuda links up with Zar Keys on “Noise.” The song is the title track off his eight-track EP of the same name.
The fact that the title tune is at number five and not number one is a purposeful structural choice. By the time “Noise” arrives, the EP has already gone via “Skuta,” “Sasingenjena,” “MAVIS,” and “Skuta Reloaded.” Thus, the listener is already in De Mthuda’s world before the project’s defining statement occurs. That placement lends the title track more weight than it would have as an opener.
Zar Keys is a good selection for this time. His keyboard-driven Amapiano sensibility feels quite at home within De Mthuda’s production structure — both artists know how to create a record around instrumentation rather than vocal delivery. So ‘Noise’ is mainly a production-led collaboration, where the major event is the dialog between the two creative instincts.
The record itself is louder than anything else on the EP, making the title of the EP even louder. It is not violent noise – it is the type of controlled sonic statement that can only be made by a producer who knows exactly what effect every layer is meant to make. Because this is how De Mthuda has always done business. Every piece belongs somewhere in the arrangement. Nothing sits in the mix for no reason.
With a rich record of collaborations with Kabza De Small and the wider private school Amapiano scene, this position next to De Mthuda lends vital credence to Zar Keys’ 2026 output. They combine to produce a track that represents the EP’s identity at its most condensed point.
Stream “Noise” off the “Noise” EP and let us know if De Mthuda and Zar Keys crafted the standout tune of the project. Drop your opinion below!
Discussion