Organic Intelligence XXXIII – South African 3-step

3-step is the latest evolution within South African dance music, writes Skye Butchard in our latest antidote to the algorithm

You can achieve a lot just by removing one element. Sometimes, it even creates a genre offshoot of its own. By removing a kick in a 4/4 groove (usually the third or forth), producers like Thakzin helped to form the groundwork for 3-step, a new mutation within South African dance music. Though not the earliest example of 3-step (Prince Kaybee & Nokwazi made ‘Ebabayo’ back in 2021), he is the voice most consistently championing this style. After gaining international success, he started making 3-step as a way to bridge the gap between afrotech / deep house and amapiano, as he explains:

“I was having trouble finding the link, because now I’m here [in South Africa], I’m not playing playing overseas. I’m making the sound for there, but it’s not connecting much here”, he says in an interview about how the sub-genre came about. Then, he’d found a way in. “Firstly, it’s the rhythm. We love rhythm.” (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre)

3-step is all about feel. Tracks in this style have a hypnotically rigid yet lopsided groove, which has provided a foundation for artists to play around with blends of amapiano, house and afrotech. It’s a slippery style, and so far, not much has been written about it, outside of great contributions from Joshua Minsoo Kim (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre) and Singles Jukebox (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre), and LokpoLokpo1 (S'ouvre dans une nouvelle fenêtre).

 Where it is having an impact is in the South African pop charts, which are dominated by the various strains of homegrown house music, as well as on social media, where dance challenges and memes can make or break a track. The genre was designed to work in any setting, but to my ears, there’s also a starkness and openness to 3-step in its current form. It’s yet another evolution in the current wave of producers helping to make South African dance music so distinct.