SMACK SELECTS: HANDSOME TIGER FEAT. REI - ANCESTOR NRG
With so many forces in the world trying to drive us apart and highlight our differences, it’s refreshing to see artists come together to push a message of solidarity. Vancouver-based Anishinaabe Métis and North African producer/DJ Handsome Tiger partners with REI, a bilingual Māori artist from Aotearoa, New Zealand, to bring us “ANCESTOR NRG.”
Handsome Tiger unveils the video for this new lead single as he announces the sequel to his 2023 album, First People. The highly anticipated First People II is set to drop on May 1 and further represent the evolution of Handsome Tiger’s electronic powwow style. As an innovator of the genre since 2020, which incorporates traditional sounds with cutting-edge production techniques, Handsome Tiger continues to champion Indigenous culture within the global bass music landscape.
“ANCESTOR NRG” embodies the timeless themes of resistance and storytelling through a powerful collision of sonic dialects spanning across centuries. Handsome Tiger and REI guide us forward with a head-bopping bassline and hip-hop leaning percussive elements as indigenous vocals blend amidst haka-heavy raps. This unapologetic anthem is an inspiring ode to the ancestors of these two artists, who stand with them, guide them, and empower their journeys forward. Not only does “ANCESTOR NRG” appeal to the unabashed creativity of electronic music, but it also challenges the status quo of an industry in dire need of representation.
Speaking of the album, Handsome Tiger shares:
SMACK: In the current political climate, how important is it for you to champion Indigenous sounds from around the globe and foster solidarity amongst cultures with your upcoming album First People II?
Handsome Tiger: As an artist that’s always worked to intersect that sort of message within my music, it feels more potent than ever to be doing so. There’s beauty in unity within our cultures, also a fostering sense of community amongst all relations regardless of where we’re from globally. As the political struggles we face are all inherently interconnected and a shared reality of the world we are living in. In a sense, as well, the ethos of First People II was to bring together the traditional powwow sounds, and involve other Indigenous vocal artists on the collaborative tracks. And also build upon the electronic powwow sound, by also mixing global club rhythms and other pan-African influences from around the world.
Collaborator REI also weighs in on his desire to represent Maori culture and authentic NZ sounds with his music:
SMACK: “Ancestor NRG" sees the blending of traditional Maori lyrics with electronic music in ways that many listeners will be new to. Can you tell us more about the origins of powwow step, and why this sort of representation is important in dance music today?
REI: As a Māori artist from Aotearoa New Zealand, I have been hugely inspired by the current wave of powwow step. I’ve been traveling to Turtle Island for the last 3 summers, doing shows and connecting and collaborating with indigenous artists across the country. The fusion of electronic with tradition in powwow step is a powerful crossover and has been super influential for me and my music. There is a huge wave of NZ music in Māori language at the moment but there is a lack of electronic māori language music. My goal is to create something similar to powwow step but featuring indigenous New Zealand and Pacific sounds with electronic beats. This collaboration with Handsome Tiger, fusing haka raps with powwow step, is the first step on that journey for me.
Connect with Handsome Tiger as he gears up for the release of First People II and continues to push boundaries, asserting himself on the global electronic music stage.