Mikael Seifu – Zelalem EP + Mixtape

A distinct brew of techno and jazz, Seifu’s new EP takes the sounds of the street into his studio. Zelalem, or ‘eternity’, draws on Seifu’s native folk tunes while lacing them with an electronic layer. Described by one critic as what would happen if “a free-thinking techno DJ made tunes for the courts of Old Testament kings”, Zelalem defies definition. Seifu has released a mixtape in conjunction with the EP. This 50-minute tour of Ethiopian and African folk is an ode to his local traditions. Stream the mixtape here, before sampling the EP below.