South African DJ duo TXC have teased an exciting new project and hinted at major collaborations with international stars Wizkid and Jorja Smith, leaving fans eager to discover what the dynamic duo has been working on.
The revelation came during TXC’s conversation with Dotty on The Dotty Show, where the duo discussed their growing international presence, their hit collaboration with Davido, and what fans can expect from their next chapter.
[Dotty:]
TXC alongside Davido with Yebo and they join me live in the studio right now. Guys, finally. What’s, what’s taking you so long to come through?
[Clairise:]
No, you are the one that’s been taking long to invite us here.
[Dotty:]
No, it’s not me, it’s not me.
[Tarryn:]
No, you only select the best and now finally, you know, we worked hard and now we, we finally made it to your show, come on.
[Dotty:]
Because Yebo was huge. Did you know it could get bigger than that though? Because for a while that was the biggest tune.
[Clairise:]
No, like Naku Penda, the whole feel of it is just brand new, like everything about it is just brand new, like.
[Dotty:]
We’re not gonna play Naku Penda yet though. I feel like we need to keep the people waiting. That’s a, that’s a huge song and we’re gonna talk about how you made that track. Right now though, you are in London for a massive show happening on the weekend. Tell us about that.
[Tarryn:]
Yeah, we have Davido and friends this weekend and you know anything Davido does is bound to go down. So yeah, Davido and friends this weekend and then we come back on the 28th for Piano People in the park, so.
[Dotty:]
Two shows in London.
[Tarryn:]
Yeah, literally.
[Dotty:]
It’s gonna be massive and we’re gonna talk about that link up with Davido after this. One of my personal TXC favourites, let’s get it.
[MUSIC]
[Dotty:]
TXC joining me right now in the Dotty Show studios. Guys, what, what is the magic of Amapiano? Like can you describe what it is because I’ve loved Amapiano for a few years now. Quite often I don’t know what I’m saying or what I’m singing, but the magic of the music takes over. What, what is it about the sound? TXC joining me right now in the Dotty Show studios. Guys, what, what is the magic of Amapiano? Like can you describe what it is because I’ve loved Amapiano for a few years now. Quite often I don’t know what I’m saying or what I’m singing, but the magic of the music takes over. What, what is it about the sound?
[Clairise:]
I think it’s the soul in it. I think it’s the instruments. I think it’s, yeah, we jazzing and we partying, like it’s a whole big feeling, like yeah.
[Dotty:]
Are there, are there some, some phrases that we should know to get by in, in the world of Amapiano? Because I’ll be saying Asambe, Asambe, I’ll be saying everything. I don’t know what I’m saying.
[Clairise:]
Yeah, let’s go. So Asambe means let’s go.
[Dotty:]
Asambe.
[Clairise:]
Is that what it means?
[Tarryn:]
Yeah.
[Dotty:]
Alright, alright. What else do I need to know?
[Clairise:]
And of course Yebo. Yebo is like standard procedure.
[Tarryn:]
But if you have Asambe, like they’re gonna believe that you are part South African.
[Clairise:]
Cause like you there, you within.
[Dotty:]
What else do I need?
[Tarryn:]
Yebo and Asambe, I think that’s… you’re good to go.
[Dotty:]
I’ve got my core…
[Tarryn:]
That’s your core.
[Dotty:]
With those two, yeah.
[Tarryn:]
So it’s Asambe. Asambe. Asambe. Yeah.
[Dotty:]
So, but like when you hear it in music, it’s Asambe, it sounds like that.
[Clairise:]
Yeah, I’m just like, Asambe, Asambe. I don’t know if it’s food, I don’t know if it’s a vibe.
[Tarryn:]
No, it’s like let’s go, we’re there.
[Dotty:]
Let’s go. Alright, alright. Um, now Davido joined me on the show a couple of weeks ago and he spoke about the making of Naku Penda and it feels like a song that kind of happened by itself, like the, like the magic of it just took over. Tell us your experience of making Naku Penda.
[Clairise:]
I think it’s exactly that. Like, so we had our beat done, we added Ch’cco and then we were like, you know what, this sounds very Davido-ish. Like let’s try him out. We sent it to him, he loved it immediately. Because remember Yebo, he made us wait one year to record.
[Dotty:]
What?
[Clairise:]
He had the beat for one year.
[Dotty:]
Wait, so he had the Yebo beat for a year before he jumped on it?
[Clairise:]
Yeah.
[Dotty:]
How quickly did he jump on Naku Penda?
[Clairise:]
Two seconds.
[Dotty:]
Two seconds?
[Clairise:]
I sent it to him and he was like, yes, uh, let’s do Lagos this weekend. We did Lagos, we did studio. And then we happened to record in Zlatan’s studio and he also happened to feel the song and he was joking around on the mic. “What is this?” This was a joke. We were like, oh no, we can’t say that, we can’t do that. And now it’s the biggest part of the song. Like he was just fooling around and that actually made the whole song.
[Tarryn:]
Yeah, and everything in studio was so natural. Like the energy of everyone was just high energy, everyone’s in a good mood. We were just vibing and having fun and from those vibes came what is this and what is what.
[Dotty:]
As DJs, before producers, do you already know when a song is about to be mad in the club?
[Clairise:]
Yes, I think that’s one of my strongest points, like.
[Dotty:]
Did you know Naku Penda was gonna turn the world upside down?
[Clairise:]
Yes, even without, before there was vocals, there was just the beat, I already knew like, I would even go and sell that shit. I would even go and sell that without vocals. Like that’s how strong I knew it was gonna be.
[Dotty:]
Let’s get into it.
[MUSIC]
[Dotty:]
This song is huge. TXC, Naku Penda. And anyone who has seen you guys DJ, host a party, you, you do not just stand behind the decks. Do you feel as though those days are now over, because of DJs like yourselves?
[Clairise:]
Yeah, I feel like everything evolves with time, regardless of what you do. And the DJ culture and how DJs are perceived right now has also evolved because of females out there. Because we’re already in a male-dominated space. So now, you need to claim it as your own. And how else are you gonna claim it by making it your own, you know, by the dancing, by whatever you bring to the table. And naturally, the dancing, as you know Tarryn with the dance moves, it naturally just came out, you know, it wasn’t anything planned really, or anything that we really thought about, it was just she was in the moment and that’s how she felt, and that was the end product is now we DJ as we dance.
[Dotty:]
Cause Tarryn, do you, do you consider yourself solely a DJ? How would you describe yourself?
[Tarryn:]
The dancing DJ.
[Dotty:]
How, how much for you, how much is dancing versus DJing?
[Tarryn:]
50-50. I play my song, I go dance for my song.
[Dotty:]
Really?
[Tarryn:]
I swear.
[Dotty:]
It might look like Clairise does all the work and I’m just dancing.
[Tarryn:]
No, no, I just…
[Dotty:]
No, it doesn’t.
[Tarryn:]
Listen, and that’s actually…
[Dotty:]
You’re just having a good time.
[Clairise:]
No, but the thing is you only see 10 seconds. What you see online is like a 10-second clip. You don’t know what happened before that. Yeah, cause you choose what you show people. And we’re showing the high-energy side of things. Now automatically you assume, oh, she’s not doing anything. No, she just played that song that she’s dancing to. Like she didn’t just go get up and dance.
[Tarryn:]
So every song that I play is the song that I go out for.
[Dotty:]
Yeah.
[Tarryn:]
So if I’m in the front there, just know that I came from playing my song.
[Dotty:]
Mm-hmm. I’m not, I’ve seen you DJ.
[Tarryn:]
I will fight you guys. Cause like, that’s very, that used to be a sensitive topic. I’m just like, damn, I’ll be doing all my things and y’all just don’t be seeing me. Like… I will fight you guys. Cause like, that’s very, that used to be a sensitive topic. I’m just like, damn, I’ll be doing all my things and y’all just don’t be seeing me. Like…
[Dotty:]
But like, yeah, that’s how it works.
[Tarryn:]
Yeah.
[Dotty:]
What’s next for TXC? Because you’ve got some incredible songs under your belt now. Is there gonna be a full project? Is there a world tour? Like what’s the plan next?
[Clairise:]
There’s definitely a big project coming. I don’t know if I can mention this. But yeah, we got a little bit of Wizkid, a little bit of Jorja, a little bit of… You know, we got some things coming up. And then…
[Dotty:]
We got TXC Wizkid and TXC Jorja?
[Clairise:]
Shh.
[Dotty:]
You said it now. Are these, are these separate songs or is this one song?
[Clairise:]
It could be one song, it could be separate songs. Let’s see, let’s see. But yeah, we’re hoping that’s the next Naku Penda. But yeah.
[Dotty:]
I mean Naku Penda is its own thing. Naku Penda is a monster of a tune. Like let’s park that one, but this is gonna be the next, this is gonna be the next TXC anthem, yeah. When are we getting it?
[Clairise:]
Stay tuned.
[Dotty:]
Soon?
[Clairise:
Soon, soon, soon.
[Tarryn:]
Definitely this year.
[Clairise:]
Yeah.
[Dotty:]
We’re getting it in South Africa summer?
[Clairise:]
Definitely in this year.
[Dotty:]
You have to stay tuned to your social media. And of course Apple will know first as well.
[Clairise:]
Yeah, I mean, just drop me a little, drop it in the group chat.
[Dotty:]
Drop it in the…
[Clairise:]
You will know first.
[Dotty:]
Little secret group chat that we got going on. Guys, it’s been an absolute pleasure. Before I let you go, is there anyone from South Africa that you need to put us on to? Give me all the names that we need to hear.
[Clairise:]
Al Xapo, yeah, he produced Naku Penda actually, he’s like really good. Who else?
[Tarryn:]
Um, Al Xapo, Benzo…
[Clairise:]
These are just all my boys.
[Dotty:]
Just your, these are the new kids on the block?
[Clairise:]
Yeah.
[Dotty:]
And you’re just one music making community right now?
[Clairise:]
Exactly.
[Dotty:]
Alright, we’re gonna get into this one from Al Xapo. Introduce it for me please.
[Clairise:]
Well, this is Snoko Noko by Al Xapo and you’re listening to the Dotty Show.
[Dotty:]
TXC live on Apple Music 1. Thank you so much for coming through guys.
[Clairise:]
Thank you for having us.
With international collaborations potentially on the horizon and a major project in the works, TXC are clearly entering another exciting era. For now, fans have been told to stay tuned to their social media channels for updates.
Listen to the full interview HERE.
