Available on: New State 12″

Mzo Bullet’s ‘Casablanca’ has been circling the internet for a few years now. Sometimes it’s titled ‘Mzo Bullet’ by Casablanca, sometimes it’s spelt Mzu Bullet, sometimes it’s spelt Cassablanca, but the appeal is the same – simply the catchiest kwaito riff outside of ‘Township Funk’ bobbing and circling the room like a friendly ghost, propelled by gloriously lo-fi drums and wheezy synths. It’s also got one of the best videos in existence.

The only way 99.9% of Westerners were able to get a hold of ‘Casablanca’ was through low bitrate downloads, but finally, via New State’s Township Funk compilation and this subsequent single release, it’s been made available for a wider audience. This review was based on New State’s mp3 rather than the vinyl, but it sounds like they’ve managed to master it for club play without smoothing over the tinny snares and scuffed corners that made the original so refreshing. It’s often when stripped of grand production values (and even a proper intro, in this case) that music’s at its most mysterious and addictive, and this respectful release pays tribute to that while pairing it with a sharp peak time update by Hot City for a best of both worlds effect.

Tam Gunn