From The Hill by Charles Webster And The South African Connection

Below, Stay True Sounds supremo Allan Nicoll, aka Kid Fonque, and legendary UK producer Charles Webster expand on how they brought together the cream of the South African deep house scene for a unique album.

"In 1997, when 'Better Day' by Presence came out, it was a hit on the radio in South Africa," says Charles Webster, recalling how his decades-long love affair with the South African house scene began. "Obviously, in England, it wasn't on the radio at all," he adds dryly. A slew of 00s remixes would not only cement Webster's position at the heart of South Africa's house scene, but arguably create a blueprint for the nation's own take on this most global of genres.

"The house music that really connected for us was deep and soulful, and Charles ticked both boxes. If you play his remix of 'Cafe de Flore' (by Dr Rockit) even now at any venue in South Africa, it will erupt," notes Stay True Sounds founder Allan Nicoll, aka Kid Fonque, all-round SA scene polymath. One of this project's collaborators, WAPO Jije, concurs: "Man, this was a crazy sound for me as I was not a house fan before, but after this tune, a whole new world rose for me to go into producing deep house music."

"The sound was a good fit, it was bassy and soulful, and that's a reasonable description of what they like here," muses Charles 20+ years on and now resident in Cape Town, referencing not only the re-rub of Dr Rockit (aka his long time compadre Matthew Herbert) but also his revisions of Justin Martin's 'The Sad Piano' on Buzzin' Fly, and the Michelle Cleis song 'La Mezcla' on Strictly Rhythm. Of the latter, FKA Mash notes:" That kickstarted it for me. My respect and fascination with his work grew even more each time I saw his name."

"When Soul Candi Records was the biggest house label on the continent, we were licensing most remixes that Charles was putting out," adds Nicoll, who curated their best-selling compilations. "I think that was really what led to his significance as a household name." Charles himself joins the dots right the way up to this project. "Those compilation CDs used to go to number one on the proper charts. I'd get recognised on the street, doing autographs and selfies in Woolworths. All the people on Stay True Sounds they'll have grown up listening to their parents' CDs. They started making their own music, and I think there was a moment when Allan started Stay True; it all just came together. They've got their own thing now, and they're running with it."

When Allan made the seismic decision to move his family to the UK in 2022, it was partly so Stay True Sounds, through its partnership / Allan's role with Defected, could aspire to curate projects like From the Hill. Serendipity still has a role to play, though, as Allan explains: "I hosted two Stay True Sounds shows, one in Cape Town and one in Johannesburg, over a weekend when Wez Saunders (Defected CEO) was there. I booked Charles for both shows. Wez said to me, Invite all the artists and DJs you work with for lunch on Sunday. Charles came along. I knew for a fact that everyone sitting around the table had been touched by his records throughout their lives."

"It was a big dinner with maybe 30 people, producers or singers or DJs, all of whom I knew of, some of whom I knew personally," recalls Charles." Allan said, You know what we should do? An album with all you lot." Nicoll instantly saw the breathtaking potential of the project, but his position as chief alchemist would be pivotal. "We were in a very sweet spot where Charles really understood the South African producers before they got into the room with him. He trusted my A&R ear on all the collabs, he let me bring people in to write records with him, and he was so gracious about all of it. So that was my role, to connect the right people with Charles."

Vocalist Sio encapsulates the response of those who sounded out about being a part of the project: "I jumped at the chance to collaborate with him because ⁠I knew it was going to be transcendental." Atmos Blaq adds: "It's one for my books to be working with the legendary Charles Webster, one of the OGs that I enjoyed listening to growing up." "Allan tailored it carefully, with people that he thought would work. And they all did - I think in total, it's 16 people, with singers and producers, and it was an absolute blast," enthuses Charles. "For the first hour with everyone, we just chatted and tried to get to know each other. I'd said to everyone, if you can just bring in anything - a lyric, a chord, a drum beat - just something to get us moving. But it was extremely quick."

For Thabo Tonick, "the energy in the room was great and we spent a lot of time talking about cats! Charles is hilarious. I hope that people will hear two minds from two different generations, two different parts of the world coming together to create something new and so balanced that neither's sound overpowers the other - a true collaboration in its very essence." Daev Martian "realised there were a lot similarities in the way we work, even geeking over plugins was fun & informative," while for Bokani Dyer, "it was great to see his sampling techniques - how he can bring different elements from so many places and mould them into a new, unique sound."

After the instant high of the project coming together so quickly and the collaborators all gelling effortlessly with Charles, Allan confesses that "there were moments where Charles was refining it, and I was thinking, how are we going to find this common thread between all these musical styles. Charles said Don't worry, this is what I do."

The collaborators' unanimous verdict is delighted with the finished results, perhaps best summed up by China Charmeleon: "I saw him playing the song at an event in Durban. I cried tears of happiness because of the response of the crowd." For El Payo, "this project will be inspirational and motivate me to keep pushing hard." Allan concludes, "I believe we've really found a beautiful place where the record does sound like a cohesive story. I hope that it can connect with the world outside of South Africa, and really shine a light on all these incredible producers, and this thriving underground scene."

And finally…some words on the studio where the magic unfolded. "Flame Studios is built inside a prison, at Constitution Hill in South Africa, which is very significant to South Africans, because that's where the Constitution was written for how the country runs now - especially significant to the people we had in the room, who are what we call the Born Frees, the people that were born after Apartheid was ended," explains Allan. "It's a remarkable institution," adds Charles, now fully immersed in SA life. "Mandela was in there; you can really feel the history. You're working in a prison cell from a brutal regime. It's an important place. So, I didn't want the album to be too light, because you can't escape from politics anywhere, but especially somewhere like here - and you shouldn't."

Charles Webster And The South African Connection - From The Hill
Release Date November 2025
Label Stay True Sounds

Tracklist
1. Charles Webster & Thabo Tonick - Flame
2. Charles Webster & Atmos Blaq - Free
3. Charles Webster & Sive Msolo & Sakhe the Conquerer - Qiniseka
4. Charles Webster & Daev Martian - Up The Hill
5. Charles Webster & Daev Martian - From The Hill
6. Charles Webster & Emamkay feat. Bokang Ramatlapeng - Rain
7. Charles Webster & Daev Martian & Sio - Film Me
8. Charles Webster & Bokani Dyer - The Artist
9. Charles Webster & Muzi - Bakulindele
10. Charles Webster & El Payo & Girly Mbambani - A Journey
11. Charles Webster & WAPO Jije - Part Two
12. Charles Webster & China Charmeleon & Girly Mbambani - Many Blessings
13. Charles Webster & FKA MASH - Soweto Sunrise