Born in the townships of Durban, gqom (a Zulu word meaning “hit” or “drum”) is a subgenre of house recognisable by its reductionist techniques, dark strings, syncopated breakbeats and repeating vocal samples. DJ duo Thobani “Cue” Mgobhozi and Zipho “Gold” Mthembu—better known by their stage name, Distruction Boyz—have been two of the genre’s boldest pioneers (remember Babes Wodumo’s “Wololo”?), but through Gqom Is the Future they evolve it even further. Coined sgubhu by KwaZulu-Natal’s beatmakers, Distruction Boyz' take showcases a softer, more melodic side to gqom.