Unleash the Wolf (UTW), a house and electronic music event created by Sukoluhle ‘!Sooks’ Dlamini, is coming back to Eswatini on Sunday, the 7th of December at the newly revamped Oryx Restaurant in Ezulwini, produced in partnership with Antidote Music, and many patrons of the genre see it as one of the most unique music experiences in the country.
One of the strongest parts of UTW is its lineup. The team takes time to choose DJs who fit the UTW sound, explains Mmeli Hlanze – co-founder of Antidote Music, the management team behind the Unleash the Wolf series;
“We are fans of deep house and electronic music first and foremost, we also travel to events outside the country to scout talent.”
!Sooks breaks it down further:
“I’m deeply immersed in the electronic music scene in Southern Africa so there’s always a plethora of selectors to choose from when we curate the line-up and how we can make it with top local DJs and performers as well. There’s a great deal of thought that goes into the final line-up to make it extra special!”
This year’s special moment is the introduction of Jimpster from the UK who will be performing and arriving in Eswatini for the very first time, which is huge considering what a legend he is. Those who know his music know why, and a chance for eager house heads to be fully immersed in his unique touch on the 7th and realise!
Top local selectors dropped at the time of this publication include, the two top female house DJs from Eswatini; Ndumz DJ, not a stranger to UTW as well as Expo SZ, who recently took up a second cap of House music Producer. They will be joined by The bishop, well known spinner, and Tibza. And of course the wolf himself !Sooks. The final, conclusive lineup will be dropped closer to the event date.
About Unleash The Wolf
There was a break after the early years of the event, and many people wondered if UTW had shifted its focus. But Hlanze explains that the pause was not intentional. Even after the return, the number of local events changed because the brand was also growing in South Africa.
UTW started in December 2018. Antidote Music’s Mmeli Hlanze explains – “Since its inception, UTW has been hosted 5 times before in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The very first edition was held in December 2018.”
“Following the COVID-19 pandemic and event hosting restrictions, UTW had a hiatus and only returned in December 2022, the variances in frequency and delays are largely due to the demand for UTW outside of Eswatini, Particularly, Johannesburg and Cape Town have been cities where we’ve been actively hosting.”
Another challenge cited has been finding suitable local venues. The event has been hosted previously around the capital. This year, a new partnership with Oryx Restaurant and Lounge will hopefully solve that problem.
“The other factors that inhibit the frequency of hosting UTW in Eswatini is the challenge with finding the right venues, Venues need to understand the value of the event and be willing to partner with the team. We’re excited to try out this new partnership with Oryx Restaurant and Lounge.”
With this return, Unleash the Wolf promises a night of good music, strong community, and a reminder of how far Eswatini’s house music culture has come. Tickets are fast selling out too. Information on where to secure the limited spots can be found on the official event pages across social media.
