Don&Ectic to deliver ‘Almost 30’

The Otjiwarongo duo of Mberipahera ‘Don’ Uri-khob and Jarionene ‘Ectic’ Tjituka, better known as Don&Ectic, will be dropping their much-anticipated debut album, ‘Almost 30’, later this month.

The 14-track album speaks about the societal expectations that by the age of 30 one should have certain things or be at a certain level in life.

Ectic, speaking on behalf of the duo, says the album will contain a variety of sounds and languages including English, French and Shona.

“The album will have a lot of different styles, a little something for everyone, something to get you to move and groove and something to get you sitting and weeping, as well as something to make you think.

“Expect the unexpected on the album,” Ectic says.

Songs to get fans grooving include ‘Koko Loko’, but the bulk of the album addresses what the duo have been through.

‘Plain Jane’ speaks about how most women use excessive make-up, while ‘Perspective’ addresses early judgement.

“The biggest inspiration for the album is the fact that we are both almost 30. I [Ectic] will be turning 30 in January next year, and Don will be turning 30 in June 2025. We have had so many conversations with people of different age groups, and they all have the same mindset that at the age of 30, you are supposed to have a stable job, family and so on, but most people overlook the struggles we all face, be they physical or emotional,” says Ectic.

The album also marks a breakthrough for the duo’s music career, as they feel underrated despite being in the industry for quite some time.

“We have been doing music for a while, but we are still viewed as upcoming artists,” says Ectic.

“We Namibians don’t like to start trends. We would rather jump on one. But our radio stations also don’t take the time to try and discover hot Namibian songs and make them trend, but prefer to play trending South African songs.”

Last Friday, the duo dropped the song ‘Loser’, which they say is the leading track of the album.

“This is just to give a little taste of what’s about to come and what to expect on the album,” says Ectic.

They will also drop two music videos for the song ‘Xute Ista’ and the ‘Bugatti’ remix, he says.

With up to 18 official singles, the duo rose to prominence two years ago with their hit single ‘Bugatti’.

“We draw inspiration from life’s experiences. So our music always has a story. We do music because music has the ability to connect different people,” Ectic says.