After months of rumors and discussion the worst possible timeline has turned out to be the one we’re living in. Die Antwoord, South Africa’s greatest export, has confirmed plans to released their final album later this year.
Fans are likely not all that shocked by this news. The duo had previously mentioned they would disappear at the end of 2017, but it stands to reason most hoped it were not true. Ninja recently told Exclaim! that the dup will end their career the day their final record, The Book of Zef, arrives in stores. “Die Antwoord dies on that day,” he said.
The lead single off The Book of Zef is titled “Love Drug.” The song will be released next Friday, May 5. No release date for The Book of Zef has been set.
In times like these we need someone to blame. Let’s start by pointing the finger at everyone who chose to not see Chappie in theaters. That film should have been Die Antwoord’s crossover moment, but instead it was a minor sci-fi footnote in a year packed to the gills with far more commercial fare. The band did not become household names as so many have spent a decade thinking they might and now they never will. Shame on them.
But in all seriousness, the loss of Die Antwoord is going to leave a strange void in the world of music that will likely go unfilled for the rest of time. This duo is and has always been a force of nature unlike any other. Even their weakest moments were undeniable their product of their creative vision and no one else. They have played the game their way and they appear to be going out the same exact way.
…We just hope they give us one last tour.
While we mourn the loss of Die Antwoord, enjoy the group’s video for “BANANA BRAIN” from 2016: