Sho Mag: Response from the public must have been ‘massive’ for this album. How has the public received ‘Drop It’?

UPZ: So far response has been pretty good! Being an independent release though, I still feel it could do more especially here in SA which is a challenge as it is a digital only release with only limited CD’s available.

Was also very nice seeing a number of radio stations playlisting and charting various singles including ‘Say What U Want, Disco Girl, Sangoma’s Theme’ and now ‘A Dream Away’ with Sio. In celebrating ‘10 years of Pure Surprise’, we also did a new mix ‘Pure Surprise (Sunrise Mix)’ with an accompanying video that received a lot love from the TV music channels which was awesome. At the same time we did a lyric video for the remastered original version of ‘Pure Surprise’. So in all that has been very exciting.

Sho Mag: Any particular highlights or defining moments worth mentioning from last year you would like to share with us.

UPZ: The conclusion of the album ‘Drop It’ and its release as it was over two years in the making, and it is greatly satisfying to see your work out there.

I was also involved with putting together several remixes for SA collective ‘Dahl Hates Disco’ together with ‘Abicah Soul and Cuebur’ that were released on the ‘Some People EP (soWHAT Records)’.Sho Mag: What is instore for us this year from ‘UPZ’ and your label, soWHAT Records, are there any musical projects you are currently working on for 2018 or is there any ‘national tour’ on the pipeline?

UPZ: The album has just been released so I will be busy promoting it and doing various gigs in its support and some mini tours are in the pipeline as well for Southern Africa.

We will also be releasing more singles from the album, starting with A Dream Away with Sio that has been getting awesome feedback and also charted on the ‘Top 5 on Traxsource Afrohouse’. ‘Cuebur’ did a fantastic remix on that one so keep an eye out for it.

As ‘soWHAT Records’, we have two exciting compilations celebrating ‘10 years of soWHAT Records’ that are coming out, one is an ‘Afro House and the other a Soulful House compilation’.

Sho Mag: Last words from ‘UPZ’ and is there any message from you to your fans out there?

UPZ: ‘Massive thanks to Sho Mag’ for this interview and shout out to everyone who has been supporting and enjoying the music over the years.