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CD
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OH 042CD
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$16.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 4/3/2026
BCUC -- Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness -- have been channeling the spirit of Soweto for over twenty years. Indigenous funk, hip-hop consciousness, and punk rock energy fused into something utterly original and deeply rooted. Their mantra: Music for the people, by the people, with the people. From humble beginnings rehearsing in a shipping container, a stone's throw from the church where Desmond Tutu organized the escape of the most wanted anti-Apartheid activists, they kept believing in their dream of self-empowerment. The Road Is Never Easy is BCUC's fifth album and their debut on Outhere Records. On this new offering, BCUC take listeners on another Afro-psychedelic journey into the soul of Soweto. It feels like a gospel sermon colliding with a punk concert, "guaranteed to touch untapped corners of your soul" (OkayAfrica). BCUC's music is deeply rooted in history and echoes the voices of the ones who came before. The road was never easy for the people of Soweto who originally came to work in the mines of Egoli, the City of Gold, Johannesburg. When apartheid finally ended after a long struggle, it was hoped that life would improve. But more than 30 years later, many of those initial hopes and dreams are still waiting to be fulfilled. This album is about that struggle. The album contains 10 brand new songs -- a record for BCUC, whose previous albums featured an average of 3 songs. It represents the culmination of more than two decades of performing together and building a reputation as a powerful live act. These ten songs encapsulate that same live energy, each one building gradually and drawing you into BCUC's Afro-psychedelic stream of consciousness. It's a seismic tour de force through life in Soweto today. The album cover is based on a matchbox design, matches being a common household item in South Africa even today. The Road Is Never Easy is a heavy spiritual road trip, a deep dive into the subconscious of Soweto and a quest for truth, justice and sanity in this crazy world. BCUC tackle the harsh realities of the voiceless, guided by the spirit world of their ancestors. Rather than reinforcing stereotypes of poverty, BCUC's portrayal of Africa is one rich in tradition, rituals and beliefs.
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LP
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OH 042LP
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$27.00
PREORDER
RELEASE DATE: 4/3/2026
LP version. BCUC -- Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness -- have been channeling the spirit of Soweto for over twenty years. Indigenous funk, hip-hop consciousness, and punk rock energy fused into something utterly original and deeply rooted. Their mantra: Music for the people, by the people, with the people. From humble beginnings rehearsing in a shipping container, a stone's throw from the church where Desmond Tutu organized the escape of the most wanted anti-Apartheid activists, they kept believing in their dream of self-empowerment. The Road Is Never Easy is BCUC's fifth album and their debut on Outhere Records. On this new offering, BCUC take listeners on another Afro-psychedelic journey into the soul of Soweto. It feels like a gospel sermon colliding with a punk concert, "guaranteed to touch untapped corners of your soul" (OkayAfrica). BCUC's music is deeply rooted in history and echoes the voices of the ones who came before. The road was never easy for the people of Soweto who originally came to work in the mines of Egoli, the City of Gold, Johannesburg. When apartheid finally ended after a long struggle, it was hoped that life would improve. But more than 30 years later, many of those initial hopes and dreams are still waiting to be fulfilled. This album is about that struggle. The album contains 10 brand new songs -- a record for BCUC, whose previous albums featured an average of 3 songs. It represents the culmination of more than two decades of performing together and building a reputation as a powerful live act. These ten songs encapsulate that same live energy, each one building gradually and drawing you into BCUC's Afro-psychedelic stream of consciousness. It's a seismic tour de force through life in Soweto today. The album cover is based on a matchbox design, matches being a common household item in South Africa even today. The Road Is Never Easy is a heavy spiritual road trip, a deep dive into the subconscious of Soweto and a quest for truth, justice and sanity in this crazy world. BCUC tackle the harsh realities of the voiceless, guided by the spirit world of their ancestors. Rather than reinforcing stereotypes of poverty, BCUC's portrayal of Africa is one rich in tradition, rituals and beliefs.
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CD
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OTCR 018CD
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A stone's throw from the church where Desmond Tutu organized the escape of the most wanted anti-Apartheid activists of Soweto, BCUC rehearses in a shipping container-turned-community restaurant, where their indomitable outspokenness echoes in a whole new way. Like its elders, Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness sees its music as a hedonistic trance, but also as a weapon of political and spiritual liberation. Bantu means people, Uhuru means freedom -- the seven-piece band led by vocalist Jovi Nkosi rekindle the freedom of awareness, giving contemporary voice to the ancestral traditions of indigenous peoples. Jazz sounds of 1970s and '80s productions replaced by hip-hop influences and punk-rock energy, taking the listener on an intriguing epic journey. With only a few releases under their belt, BCUC took the world by storm with their mesmerizing performances, winning crowds at festivals such as Glastonbury (West Holts), Roskilde, Dour, Worldwide, Womad, Fusion, and Sziget to name a few, while collaborating with legends like Femi Kuti and Saul Williams. Millions Of Us is their first full-length album and most ambitious work to date -- distilling their magic on record, summoning mainstage festival-energy and stewing down, casting spells for the intimate audience. Recorded in Soweto, post dubbed and mixed in London the album is the coming together of this unique band and London's On The Corner Records, a label that has been traversing underground sounds worldwide.
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LP
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OTCR 018LP
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LP version. A stone's throw from the church where Desmond Tutu organized the escape of the most wanted anti-Apartheid activists of Soweto, BCUC rehearses in a shipping container-turned-community restaurant, where their indomitable outspokenness echoes in a whole new way. Like its elders, Bantu Continua Uhuru Consciousness sees its music as a hedonistic trance, but also as a weapon of political and spiritual liberation. Bantu means people, Uhuru means freedom -- the seven-piece band led by vocalist Jovi Nkosi rekindle the freedom of awareness, giving contemporary voice to the ancestral traditions of indigenous peoples. Jazz sounds of 1970s and '80s productions replaced by hip-hop influences and punk-rock energy, taking the listener on an intriguing epic journey. With only a few releases under their belt, BCUC took the world by storm with their mesmerizing performances, winning crowds at festivals such as Glastonbury (West Holts), Roskilde, Dour, Worldwide, Womad, Fusion, and Sziget to name a few, while collaborating with legends like Femi Kuti and Saul Williams. Millions Of Us is their first full-length album and most ambitious work to date -- distilling their magic on record, summoning mainstage festival-energy and stewing down, casting spells for the intimate audience. Recorded in Soweto, post dubbed and mixed in London the album is the coming together of this unique band and London's On The Corner Records, a label that has been traversing underground sounds worldwide.
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