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NEW MUSIC MONDAY

by Kristine England

Monday, April 17, 2023

By the time he had reached adulthood, Yannick Ilunga had already experienced plenty of drama. Born in Belgium to a Congolese father and Angolan mother, he was originally raised in his father’s homeland. When the situation there began to crumble, his family fled to Cape Town, South Africa. His early foray into electronic music came when teamed up with DJ Terrence Pearce and formed Popskarr. Eventually going solo and working under the name Petite Noir, he released some early tracks from 2012 to 2014, one of which would be included on both his debut EP,  The King of Anxiety, and full-length album La Vie Est Belle/Life Is Beautiful. His latest record, Mother Father, showcases both his vocal range and his myriad influences (traditional African music to jazz to post-punk and electronics) to shine through and his creativity to “run free” (Huck Mag) in a new album that is “restlessly eclectic yet strikingly cohesive” (Narc Magazine)

"Blurry" featuring Sampa The Great

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