Like many creative endeavours of the past three years, The Ascension was the product of Covid’s lockdown restrictions. But unlike the banana bread and crochet needles we all left behind, Charisse C and Koek Sista developed their brainchild into a fully-fledged musical duo. “We met through the internet,” says Charisse in a conversation with the pair over a video call. “I had a radio show called Abantu where I was playing Koek Sista’s music. She was moving to the UK so I sent her a message during lockdown. When she got here we went on a plant date for her new place and hit it off from there.”

It was during lockdown that producer and DJ Charisse had been approached by Boiler Room to record a set for when the restrictions were lifted. “Charisse called me and told me about a dream that she had about her sets going forward,” remembers Koek Sista, a vocalist and interdisciplinary artist herself. “Visions of performing with a vocalist, but not necessarily in a PA kind of way that we’re used to with house music. More somebody who would move with the production and the melodies of the music.” Koek Sista gladly obliged, and The Ascension was formed, their first-ever performance streamed live to thousands on Boiler Room’s YouTube channel.

Now, two years after that original performance, the duo have released their debut EP The Ascension, forged by the South African electronic scene that made them. On the record, the amapiano and gqom sounds of their home country – both South African off-shoot genres of house – are taken to fresh frontiers, Koek Sista’s mesmerising vocal weaving through Charisse’s hypnotic production. Despite their obvious mastery of the craft, both artists make a point of shouting out their peers during our conversation, people who’ve built the genres alongside themselves. “I think it’s important to work with and introduce artists that otherwise wouldn’t be recognised,” says Charisse. “There are a lot of people working with big artists who are the backbone of the genre in South Africa, and they don’t get that same kind of visibility.”

In the conversation below, the duo introduce us to these peers, discuss the influences for their new record, and tell us why their music is “rooted and out of this world”.

Hey Charisse and Koek Sista, congrats on the EP! Did you know you’d make a record together when you did that Boiler Room back in August 2021?

Koek Sista: Not really. When we came together to perform, we were making live bootlegs of songs, if I could put it that way – like, live remixes. When we started getting traction a couple of months after that first performance we were like, ‘OK, well, maybe we should try and make music and see how that goes.’

Charisse C: We had certain songs that became staples in the set, and the kind of melodies that Koek Sista was creating around those songs became things that we were known for. There was a conversation where we said it would be nice if something within this thing was ours. Because the material – apart from Koek Sista’s own music in the opening of the sets – was pretty much entirely other people’s music. There were ideas that we had for certain transitions, like ‘imagine if we had a song that sounded like this, that would bridge this part of the set a lot better.’ Instead of having to search for songs that match, what if we just make something that would achieve this feeling that we want to achieve?

“We wanted to push the boundaries of how Black women are understood in electronic music” – Koek Sista

What were the main inspirations for the record?

Koek Sista: We wanted to push the boundaries of how Black women are understood in electronic music, which is still quite male-dominated. We also wanted to make music that sounds like us: quite feminine, [with] a spiritual element, probably really bass-heavy. Something we say all the time is ‘rooted, but out of this world.’ It means the music sounds familiar, but it’s also got a twist on it that nobody can really put their finger on. Eventually, you’d say ‘that’s something only The Ascension would do.’

Vocally, my influences are all over the place. I like a lot of different music. I would say Björk is the biggest influence for me. Kelela is also a big influence for me. In South Africa, the biggest influence would have been Lebo Mathosa, a big kwaito vocalist, which is a predecessor genre to amapiano. She was fabulous. I think I echo her in a lot of the ways that I present myself and music.

Charisse C: Production-wise, we started with a lot of people who were coming up in our sets. A lot of the conversations that were being had, specifically around amapiano and gqom which are the two main genres on the EP, we just wanted to make stuff and work with people that were pushing the boat out. At the time in 2020, was when the genre became this huge global phenomenon. And what comes with that kind of popularising or commercialising is that it can very quickly become known for those things that go viral on TikTok, and they become the essence of what people understand the genre to be.

For something that is a dance genre that’s very much connected to house music, I just wanted it to be respected within those spaces. We just wanted to make sure wherever it is, the soul never goes away, the heart of it never goes away, and the feeling of it never goes away. Those were the thoughts around the soundscape of the project.

In what ways does the South African electronic scene influence your sound?

Charisse C: Entirely. The genres are South African genres, the EP was predominantly recorded in South Africa, the producers that we were working with are based in South Africa. It’s really the core and anchor of everything that we’re doing. That’s what we mean by rooted and out of this world. How do we make something that’s rooted in this heritage and the trajectory of the genre, but can also connect beyond that?

Are there any other artists that you can recommend for people who haven’t fully dived into amapiano and gqom yet?

Koek Sista: I think in the gqom space, you could look at ZVRI who we collaborated with on a couple of songs. Omagoqa are a trio of producers and DJs. Also Que DJ, he’s a big personality in that world as well, and also DJ Lag. He’s the poster boy for it around the world. He’s done a lot for that genre.

Charisse C: One of the biggest touch points and exports has been Uncle Waffles. Also Major League DJz, definitely DBN Gogo and Sfarzo Rtee. Mellow & Sleazy have been really significant, especially coming out of lockdown. We can’t not mention Kabza De Small, he’s kind of considered the king of amapiano. He often collaborates with DJ Maphorisa and together they’re called The Scorpion Kings.

On our record specifically, there’s also PYY Log Drum King. I think it’s also important for us to work with and introduce artists that otherwise wouldn’t be recognised. There are a lot of people working with these big artists who are the backbone of the genre in South Africa and they don’t get that same kind of visibility.

“I’m a Leo sun… and my rising and moon are Aries. I’m really a fire sign in every sense” – Charisse C

What’s your ghost outfit?

Koek Sista: A Molly Goddard ball gown.

Charisse C: I think I’d be wearing a very sleek, very well-fitting black dress.

What’s your star sign and are you a typical one of that star sign?

Charisse C: I’m a Leo sun, and yes, I really am a Leo. My rising and moon are Aries. I’m really a fire sign in every sense.

Koek Sista: I’m a Scorpio and I’m probably as typical as they come. With Gemini moon and rising. I guess it expresses itself in kind of a manic way.

What conspiracy theory are you actually quite into?

Charisse C: I’m terrified about this bedbug situation right now. It’s not a conspiracy theory, but I just want to put that out there!

What’s your weirdest internet obsession?

Charisse C: I keep getting these pimple-popping videos all over my Explore page.

Koek Sista: There’s these podiatry pages. Where people who have ingrown toenails and they cut them out. I watch a lot of that.

What’s the last meme you saved?

Koek Sista:

Any recurring dreams?

Koek Sista: I have a lot of recurring dreams with characters that manifest over and over again. My best friend is in them a lot and she’s always driving me in a car. There’s also this guy I’m seeing who’s recurred over and over again and it’s not because I’m obsessed! It’s because there’s a spiritual realm within which my dreams function sometimes, and there are messages that I’m supposed to communicate to people.

Charisse C: Lately, I’ve been having a lot of dreams where I’m having conversations with people, and I often wake up not sure of whether I actually had the conversation where I dreamt it. Or I have dreams of things as if they are happening very vividly, and then wake up feeling like this is something that I actually want to make a reality.

When did you first become aware of the power of good music?

Charisse C: As somebody who’s moved around a lot and grown up between places – but for the most part in Reading – I always had a huge affinity for London. As soon as I was old enough to sneak out and go to London by myself I would, and was often following my favourite artists as a compass. A lot of my early discoveries came out of that. Music has always been the backbone. To this day, when I think about things, there’s always a soundtrack that goes with. The fibre of every aspect of my life really has been informed by and guided by the music I’ve been listening to.

Koek Sista: I come from a country of music lovers. That’s just always been at the core of South African society. My mum is very into choral and gospel music and that’s influenced how I sing. I joined the choir when I was six years old. At family gatherings, we sing, we make music. When you’re out with your friends, you’re going to see DJs and experience music, live shows and things. Like Charisse said, it’s been at the centre of our friendships, and the world that I’ve built has been around music.

The Ascension’s self-titled debut EP is out now via Don’t Sleep.

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