126 to 130 BPMDurban

Gqom: the sound of Durban

Gqom is a dark, stripped-back dance music made by bedroom producers in the townships around Durban, South Africa, from the early 2010s.[1][2][3]

31 artists on Pulse9 cities24 sets to play

Pulse

What gqom is

It is built from broken kick drums rather than a steady four-to-the-floor, heavy percussion, chopped and repeated vocal samples, echo and very little melody. Writers have compared its weight to dubstep, techno and Chicago juke. The name is a Zulu word for the sound of a drum being struck.[1][2][3]

Gqom, also written igqomu, taxi music (nickname), gqom tech, gqom 2.0 (slower later form).

Said roughly 'gom', with a click on the g (the q is a Zulu click consonant).[1]

Tempo

126 to 130 BPM for classic Durban gqom; around 116 BPM for the slower 'gqom 2.0'[4][5][6]. Que of Distruction Boyz told Afropop Worldwide (2018) that Durban dancers need around 128 to 130 BPM and that 120 is too slow; the duo start near 130, drop to about 126, then climb back. RA's review of DJ Lag's 2022 album describes 'gqom 2.0' as gqom slowed to around 116 BPM, closer to amapiano. Bubblegum Club gives 127 BPM for the 'Unti style' sub-style.

On the Pulse map
Durban sits at 124 BPM (a published range of 120 to 130). That is each city's own pulse, not a figure for this sound.

Where it comes from

Durban (eThekwini), KwaZulu-Natal: townships including Clermont, Inanda, Umlazi, KwaMashu and Lamontville are named in coverage · Early 2010s; producers and press most often cite 2012 as the year it took hold[3][2][7][8]

It grew out of Durban kwaito and house. Durban kwaito had already pushed tempos up to about 125 BPM, against roughly 95 to 105 for Johannesburg kwaito (Sunday Times, 2024). Producer Citizen Boy credits an older Durban style called sgxumseni ('make us jump'), made by DJ Clock and DJ Gukwa, with Naked Boyz taking it on.

  • DJ Clock and DJ Gukwa

    credited by Citizen Boy as earlier sgxumseni producers[2]

  • Naked Boyz

    credited by Citizen Boy as taking 'the spot' after them[2]

  • Rudeboyz

    called gqom pioneers; self-titled EP on London's Goon Club Allstars, 2015[1][7]

  • Griffit Vigo

    named in Mixmag and cited by Distruction Boyz as an influence[1][4]

  • Sbucardo

    named in Africa Is a Country (2015) and Bubblegum Club pioneer lists[3][9]

  • DJ Lag (Lwazi Asanda Gwala)

    from Clermont; began producing on FL Studio in 2007; self-styled 'gqom king'[7][3]

  • Citizen Boy

    says he heard about gqom in 2012[2]

  • Distruction Boyz

    began producing gqom in 2012 while at school; produced Babes Wodumo's 'Wololo' (2016)[4][9]

Where the sources disagree

Tempo. Distruction Boyz put Durban gqom at 126 to 130 BPM; RA cites around 116 BPM for gqom 2.0; Bubblegum Club gives 127 for one sub-style. These are different eras and sub-styles rather than a true conflict, but no single source gives one range for all gqom.[4][5][6]

Beyoncé 'My Power' date. The Sunday Times (2024) dates DJ Lag's placement to 2018; the album 'The Lion King: The Gift' and FACT date it to July 2019. Use 2019.[8][10]

Start year. Most sources put the take-off at 2012; Bubblegum Club's sub-genre piece says gqom's success accelerated from 2009.[7][6]

Who carried it

  • Gqom Oh!label (Italy)

    Run by DJ Nan Kolè; released the compilation 'Gqom Oh! The Sound of Durban Vol. 1' in January 2016[1][2]

  • Goon Club Allstarslabel (London)

    Run by Moleskin; Rudeboyz EP 2015 and DJ Lag's 'Stampit' EP[7]

  • Hyperdub / Kode9label and DJ (London)

    Kode9 played the sound early and hosted DJ Lag at his Ø party[1][7]

  • Afrotainmentlabel (Durban)

    DJ Tira's label; Distruction Boyz closely affiliated[9]

  • Hakuna Kulalalabel (Kampala)

    Released 'The Gqom Trilogy' (2022), listed as a starting set for Durban in our data

  • Boiler Roombroadcast

    Durban: Gqom session, 12 June 2026, with Akiid, Phelimuncasi, Goldmax and others[11]

Moments

  1. 2015-05Rudeboyz EP on Goon Club Allstars, one of the first overseas releases[1]
  2. 2016-01Gqom Oh! compilation 'The Sound of Durban Vol. 1' takes the sound to European DJs[1][2]
  3. 2016Babes Wodumo's 'Wololo', produced by Distruction Boyz, breaks gqom into the South African mainstream[4]
  4. 2018Distruction Boyz play Sónar, Barcelona, with Diplo; 'Wololo' used in Black Panther[4][10]
  5. 2019-07DJ Lag's production on Beyoncé's 'My Power' (The Lion King: The Gift)[10]
  6. 2022-02DJ Lag's debut album 'Meeting With The King' (Ice Drop); he names a slower 'gqom 2.0'[5]
  7. 2025-11-14DJ Lag's mixtape 'Southside' mixes gqom with 3-step and Afro-tech; he has played Glastonbury, DC10 Ibiza, EDC Las Vegas and Fabric[12]
  8. 2026-06-12Boiler Room Durban: Gqom; the listing says the sound has moved 'from late-night taxi culture to global sound systems'[11]

The rooms it was made for

  • Minibus taxis and taxi ranks

    Drivers fitted big sound systems and competed to have the newest tracks to attract passengers, which earned it the name 'taxi music'. Producers handed tracks and CDs to drivers, and taxis parked outside parties to add sound.[1][7][8]

  • House parties and 'bang houses'

    Empty houses used for parties, plus an annual party in Kloof when the high schools closed.[7]

  • Shebeens and township clubs

    Dingy shebeens and makeshift, mostly unlicensed township clubs; KwaSisi in KwaMashu is named.[3][1][8]

  • City-centre clubs

    Club 101 (including its rooftop), Havana, Spank and 58 were early supporters; around 2014 strictly-gqom clubs appeared.[1][7][8]

  • Bedroom studios and phones

    Made on often pirated FL Studio on home computers, then shared as Datafilehost and kasimp3 links in Facebook groups and in WhatsApp groups; DJ Lag released 'Trip to New York' only on WhatsApp.[3][7]

Cities on Pulse

Cities whose signature sound or style tags include Gqom. The number is each city's own pulse tempo.

Artists on Pulse

31 artists and collectives tagged Gqom in our data, busiest cities first.

7 more are listed on the Pulse hub under this sound.

Sets to play

One tap plays here; the next Gqom set follows, then Pulse Radio carries on.

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In The Long Listen

Read before you go

The Long Listen, the Sonic Paths journal →

Questions about Gqom

What does gqom mean?

It is a Zulu word imitating the sound of a drum or a hard hit. FACT and DJ Mag translate it as 'drum' or 'hit', with a sense of 'bang' or 'noise'.[2][7]

Where does gqom come from?

The townships around Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, in the early 2010s, out of Durban kwaito and house.[1][8]

Who started gqom?

No single founder is agreed. Producers name DJ Clock and DJ Gukwa (earlier sgxumseni), Naked Boyz, Rudeboyz, Griffit Vigo, Sbucardo and DJ Lag among the first wave.[2][1][9]

What BPM is gqom?

Classic Durban gqom sits around 126 to 130 BPM according to Distruction Boyz; the later 'gqom 2.0' slows to around 116 BPM.[4][5]

Why is gqom called taxi music?

Durban minibus taxi drivers played it loud on custom sound systems to draw passengers, and producers gave them new tracks first.[1][7]

What is the difference between gqom and amapiano?

Gqom is Durban's faster, darker, broken-kick sound (around 126 to 130 BPM); amapiano is a slower Gauteng sound (around 110 to 115 BPM) built on the log drum bass. DJ Lag's gqom 2.0 deliberately moves gqom towards amapiano's tempo.[4][5]

Sources

Last checked 16 October 2026 · Send a correction or a tip

  1. 1Gqom is the explosive South African sound bursting into EuropeMixmag · 2016-11-02
  2. 2Gqom: a deeper look at South Africa's new generation of houseFACT · 2016-01-05
  3. 3#RespecTheProducer: Broken beat in the Durban undergroundAfrica Is a Country · 2015-09-21
  4. 4Que of Distruction Boyz on transforming gqom (interview)Afropop Worldwide · 2018-07-30
  5. 5DJ Lag - Meeting With The King (review)Resident Advisor · 2022-03-09
  6. 6Gqom is mother! The birth of gqom's sub-genres in the past decadeBubblegum Club · undated
  7. 7Recognise: DJ LagDJ Mag · 2019-03-11
  8. 8How kwaito and gqom are thriving in DurbanSunday Times (South Africa) · 2024-07-07
  9. 9Meet Distruction Boyz: the savvy young producers taking gqom to a new audienceBubblegum Club · undated
  10. 10Gqom (Wikipedia, used only as a lead to its sources)Wikipedia · accessed 2026-10-16
  11. 11Boiler Room: Durban: GqomBoiler Room · 2026-06-12
  12. 12DJ Lag returns with 'Southside': a celebration of his rootsDaily News (IOL) · 2025-11-14

Other sounds on Pulse

3-StepAfro houseAfro techAmapianoKinshasa DIY electronics (Congotronics, 'trash music', Congotekno)Coupé-décalé

All sounds and the tempo table