Mark Ernestus’s influence on the last twenty years of electronic music is well established. With partner Moritz von Oswald, Ernestus spearheaded two legendary projects: the minimal techno pulse of Basic Channel and the avantroots-dub of Rhythm and Sound. Since the mid-2000’s Mark has increasingly focused on African music. In addition to his remixes for Konono no.1, Tony Allen and the South African electro group BBC, Mark dropped two 12”s last year made in collaboration with the Senegalese band Jeri-Jeri.

“Mark Ernestus is the genetic engineer behind the Techno sound that has become the European heartbeat…the music remains ageless…” - The Wire/February 2010

Ben Zabo on the other hand, is a relatively new name. Belonging to the Bwa ethnic group, a culture whose musical traditions are more poly-rhythmic and energetic than most Malian music, Zabo released his first album in May of 2012. Backed by a full-throttle 7-piece band, Zabo’s music pleads for love and justice while barnstorming the dancefloor. The album ended-up on several African music year-end top-ten lists and was widely reviewed and widely hailed: “This fantastic debut by a new name from Mali…has all the intensity of Africa70 or Ok Jazz…a triumph.” - Mojo ****

By paring down Zabo’s tracks to their rhythmic, hypnotic essentials, Ernestus has created an inspired soundscape. These “dubwise” mixes somehow succeed in feeling both organic and reinvented. They are not dogmatic; they are a realtime conversation between two music-makers adept at stretching and morphing boundaries. They are tracks that completely live up to their name: Mark Ernestus Meets Ben Zabo.