Kabeaushé builds a universe of extravagance and glamour on their sophomore album ‘Hold onto Deer Life, There’s a Blcak Boy Behind You!’. The Kenyan-born, Berlin-based musician has carved out an artistry that channels the potential magic lying dormant within the bodies occupying dancefloors. During a live show, when they notice a crowd settling into the shell of being spectators, their alter ego ‘The Shé’ arrives to shatter the imaginary glass between them. “It’s basically me just going into the audience and pulling them closer. It’s awesome because then I’m not the centre of attention anymore, it’s more like we’re here to have a good time and we can all be a part of it,” Kabeaushé says.

This sense of co-creation stains the fabric of ‘HOTDLTABBBY!’ as we’re invited to locate pieces of ourselves within the rhythmic chaos of it all. Resting at twenty-eight minutes in total, it’s an electric collection of sassy pop sounds that abandons the conventional approach to music production. Kabeaushé manipulates their voice to create quirky textures and adlibs, superglued by the omnipresent thump of an 808. The theatrical opener, ‘Sorry You’re Not What We’re Looking For’, sees Kabeaushé’s glacial falsetto cut through the variations of flammable synth lines and sirens. They sustain this level of grandiosity, barely pausing for breath, until the final guitar call on ‘Deep Red’.

Strains of the album landed in Kabeaushé’s mind during a blazing summer in Berlin as part of the Kampala-Berlin Co-Creation Residency. Inspired by the city’s restless movements, it was as though the sunshine was emitting musical frequencies only they could transcribe into the fine lines of the album. It was a mighty 34 degrees when the fragments of ‘Go With Gut’ revealed themselves to Kabeaushé while sandwiched into the U-Bahn in a pair of shorts and a briefcase. “I got outside, looked up and the skies were really blue, everything was green and I was like, ‘Man, I’m really doing this huh?’” Kabeaushé recalls of the waves of gratitude they felt for this opportunity to create art in a new city.

Meanwhile on ‘Mitte’, named after Berlin’s central district, Kabeaushé bottles the tourist hub’s frenetic energy into a hip-jostling club offering. These and other tracks were workshopped through live performances while recording the album. “It was really exciting because I was able to get direct feedback. When we played ‘Mitte’, it went ballistic and that was my reassurance that I’ve got a solid album here.”

Kabeaushé’s idiosyncrasies rear their head throughout the album’s meandering narrative, much of which is sponged from his real-life encounters. The pulsing hand claps and tightly stacked vocals of ‘These Dishes Ain’t Gonna Do Themselves’ transforms a moment of frustration into an anthemic number. “I was just passing by the flat to go to the studio and I saw there was a stack of dirty dishes in the kitchen and I was really pissed off. That’s how the song started.” Conversely, other tracks recall life’s sour moments with equal doses of honesty and playfulness. Beneath the sonic theatrics there’s stories of the microaggressions they've experienced but Kabeaushé is more interested in exploring themes of “softness and cuteness” than centering a political dialogue.

Kabeaushé was brought up by a mother who is a staunch Christian, meaning their household was bustling with gospel and folk music. Their dad, on the other hand, dedicated his Sundays to diving into Lingala music from The Republic of Congo. A borrowed iPod from a cousin propelled their discovery of American acts, namely Lil’ Wayne and Paramore. Since then, their influences have extended as far and wide as Frank Zappa, Childish Gambino, The Clash, Michael Jackson and Fela Kuti. In tandem, their visual language takes notes from film directors such as Abbas Kiarostami and Djibril Diop Mambéty. “I know everyone has seen ‘Touki Bouki’ but leave that and watch ‘Hyenas’. It’s so beautiful and gorgeous – Djibril was a fucking genius.”

Still now, Kabeaushé gravitates towards the artistic innovations of the past in order to confidently create something breathtakingly fresh. Whether it’s the lyrics of David Bowie, the harmonising of ABBA or the runways of Thierry Mugler, it all soaks in. “I really love cutting things up and patching them together. It doesn’t feel like there’s one specific thing that is a direct influence because there’s none, it's just being able to do my own interpretations as a Kenyan kid.”

After stints as an actor, radio presenter and MTV star in Nairobi, their debut album ‘The Coming of Gaze’ was released in May by Nyege Nyege, the Ugandan label, collective and festival whose support has been pivotal for Kabeaushé. This offering set a precedent for the dizzying possibilities of Kabeaushé’s world-building prowess. Six months later, the arrival of ‘HOTDLTABBBY!’ showcases their desire to make playfulness and fluidity a driving factor in their approach to art and life. “I’m still a three-year-old child inside. I still get excited about stuff, so I’m just maintaining that when making the next project. I don’t know what I’m gonna make next but whatever it is, I know it’s gonna be fun.”