The Constructus Corporation were a South African electronic music group.
The Constructus Corporation | |
|---|---|
 left to right: Simon Ringrose, Yolandi Visser, Watkin Tudor Jones, Markus Wormstorm | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Constructus |
| Origin | Cape Town, South Africa |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2002–2003 |
| Labels | African Dope Records |
| Past members |
|
Formation of the band
editFollowing the breakup of Watkin Tudor Jones' project Max Normal in 2002, Jones moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town[1] and began collaborating with DJ Dope of Krushed & Sorted and Felix Laband on the music for a multi-media project he had conceptualized, involving a graphic novel with a soundtrack and live show. These sessions spawned the "Man With No Name" track on African Dope's Cape of Good Dope compilation in 2002, which later gradually mutated into The Constructus Corporation outfit.
The Ziggurat
editThe Constructus Corporation's debut album, The Ziggurat, was released in 2002.[2] It was a concept album, telling the story of a young rapper named Random Boy and his best friend, Kidtronic. The two protagonists live on a floating pyramid in outer space called the Ziggurat, and must save it from an entity known as the Constructus Corporation.[3] It featured an accompanying graphic novel[2] illustrated by Nikhil Singh.[4]
The Ziggurat was Tudor Jones' first collaboration with vocalist Anri du Toit, who is now one half of Die Antwoord under the name Yolandi Visser, along with Tudor Jones. At the time, du Toit used the name Anica The Snuffling.[5]
Post-breakup and future tenures
editFollowing the release of The Ziggurat, the Constructus Corporation disbanded, prompted largely by the record label's failure to release their album on time.[1] Watkin Tudor Jones since expanded into the graphic arts field, fluffy toy-making and other creative outlets, releasing two more projects, such as the Watkin Tudor Jones solo project (also known as Fucknrad, with Sibot) and the multimedia project MaxNormal.TV (not to be confused with his other outlet, Max Normal) with Anri du Toit, who later had a daughter with Watkin named Sixteen Jones. Sibot and Markus Wormstorm later collaborated on the 3-CD album The Real Estate Agents, and Felix Laband went on to be signed by distinguished German independent label Compost Records.
Discography
edit- Studio albums
- The Ziggurat (2002)
References
edit- ^ a b "The Constructus Corporation". TuneTree. Archived from the original on 4 April 2011. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ a b "Freaky South African Hip-Hop Crew Comes To Bill Graham Civic". KPIX-TV. 28 August 2017. Archived from the original on 12 January 2018. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ Muller, Suen-Irene (November 2016). Watkin Tudor Jones se ver-werkliking van Ninja (2009) as 'n simulakrum (MA) (in Afrikaans). North-West University. hdl:10394/25983. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ Govender, Meneesha (9 March 2016). "Taking discourse to the people". Independent Online. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
- ^ Buchmann, Nena E. (31 May 2014). Die Antwoord: Postmodern performances of local identities (MA). University of the Witwatersrand. hdl:10539/14797. Archived from the original on 17 March 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2021.