Soundway Records

Soundway Records presents the debut solo album from the ever-energetic Diron Animal, lead singer of the band Throes + The Shine.

Born and raised in the ghettos of Cazenga in the Angolan capital of Luanda, the Portugal-based artist is known for his incredible stage presence and unique fashion sense. Influenced by traditional African music, Diron brings modern electronic production and multilingual vocals to his album, which explores the realities of growing up in harsh conditions. The impact of such a life on himself and his local community is thematically apparent: pessimism, greed, and ambition feature - and yet the overarching message is that of opportunity, hope and channelling one’s struggles into creativity.

Spell-binding rhythms, bass hooks and original lyrics abound, spanning Portuguese, Kimbundu and English. On “NCrazy”, he teams up with celebrated South African rapper Spoek Mathambo to portray life in the ghetto - a place where children may roam around barefoot and food is scarce - but where a positive attitude could be the difference between breaking free or not.