Friday has its own rhythm in Cape Town. Once the working day is over, plans start forming - a drink with friends, a dance floor, dinner or simply somewhere to hear good music before another week begins.
Audiomack is putting its own spin on that familiar routine with “After Five”, a new music experience at Texas on Albertus Street on Friday, September 25.
The line-up draws on South Africa’s local dance scene, with Cape Town DJ Shakes bringing house, deep house, kwaito, R&B and hip-hop into his sets, while Not A She works across deep house, Afro house and Afro-tech.
Azee Green, Solo and Sigwabs also feature, alongside a special back-to-back set from Surreal Sounds, Omagoqa and Chustar, with Likkyliks bringing her gqom sound to the night.
There is something practical about anchoring a music event to the end of the working day.
“After Five” does not require an elaborate reason to attend. The premise is already built into the calendar: Friday arrives, work is done and people want somewhere to go.
That fits the way people already discover and listen to music. A track might first appear on a streaming service or social media, then end up being played by a DJ at a Friday night out.
Audiomack sits on the first part of that journey, while “After Five” moves it into a room with other people.
The difference is in how the music is experienced. Listening through headphones is one thing; hearing a DJ work through a set, watching people respond and discovering a song in that setting is another.
The crowd becomes part of what is happening, friends compare what they are hearing and unfamiliar tracks can take on a different life once they are played in a packed room.
For South Africans, there is nothing particularly unfamiliar about the idea. DJs, live music and the social life that surrounds them have long been part of how people spend their weekends.
A song can sound very different when it moves from a pair of headphones to a dance floor, where a DJ is reading the room and a crowd is reacting in real time. It is also where unfamiliar music can find new listeners simply by being played in the right setting.
That is where “After Five” makes sense for Audiomack. Music discovery may start on the platform, but the Friday night gives people a reason to take that discovery offline and experience it with other people.
Tickets for "After Five" are available on Quicket.