„Sacred Groves“ is the debut album by DJ Raph, a Nairobi-based electronic musician and producer known for his innovative approach to sound. The creation of Sacred Groves was closely linked to the project „Mash Up the Archive“, a collaboration between Iwalewahaus and Kenyan artist Sam Hopkins, which invited contemporary artists to engage critically and creatively with the Iwalewahaus’s extensive audio-visual collections. Through this process, DJ Raph recontextualized traditional African chants, rhythms, and ceremonial sounds, weaving them into rich, layered compositions that transcend genre boundaries while maintaining a deep respect for the source material.
The record, issued and produced in cooperation with Noland, represents a compelling fusion of electronic music with archival field recordings sourced from the Iwalewahaus in Bayreuth, Germany — a research and exhibition center dedicated to contemporary African and diaspora cultures.
Described as both a sonic ritual and an act of cultural preservation, Sacred Groves is not merely a remix of archival sounds but a dialogue between past and present, tradition and technology. It highlights the spiritual and symbolic power of sound in African cultures while introducing these elements to new audiences through a contemporary electronic music lens.
To mark the album’s release, a series of live events and listening sessions were held in both Europe and Africa. In Germany, DJ Raph presented the project at Berghain Kantine in Berlin and the Golden Pudel Club in Hamburg. These events introduced Sacred Groves to European audiences engaged in underground and experimental sound culture.
The project came full circle with a presentation in Nairobi, held at Kuona Art Trust, one of the city’s key platforms for contemporary art. This event was realized in collaboration with Sam Hopkins, Maasai Mbili Art Collective and local musicians. This Nairobi presentation not only reconnected the archival material with a local audience but also reactivated it within a living artistic dialogue.