tempo varies, no sourced figure

Sgubhu in African electronic music

Sgubhu is a Durban offshoot of gqom from the early to mid 2010s that keeps gqom's drums but adds melodic house synths and a cleaner, more house-like groove.[1][2][3][4]

3 artists on Pulse1 cities3 sets to play

Pulse

What sgubhu is

Writers describe it as gqom's lighter, more melodic and more commercial side, closer to deep house in rhythm and feel, and the most technical of the Durban styles in its mixing and mastering. Some producers use the word for gqom they think has gone too commercial; Distruction Boyz, often filed under it, say the difference is smaller than people claim.[1][2][3][4]

Sgubhu, also written iSgubhu, s'ghubu, sghubu.

Tempo

No sourced tempo. No sourced BPM found for sgubhu itself Mixmag (2016) says sgubhu is 'closer to deep house' in rhythm and tempo than gqom, which implies slower than gqom's 126 to 130. Distruction Boyz, the best-known act filed under sgubhu, work between about 126 and 130. Pulse shows no BPM number for this sound; the city tempos on the map are the cities' own pulse figures.

Where it comes from

Durban townships; Lamontville is named for producer Thuksin · Bubblegum Club says sgubhu producers gathered around 2013 in public spaces[1][2]

  • Campmasters, Distruction Boyz, Infamous Boiz, DaSoul Boys, Vanger Boyz

    named as pioneers by Bubblegum Club[1]

  • Thuksin (Lamontville)

    described by Mixmag in 2016 as a DJ/producer who makes sgubhu[2]

  • Forgotten Souls

    'Sgubhu 6 (Gqom Edit)' on the 2016 Gqom Oh! compilation[5]

Where the sources disagree

Is it a genre or a label?. Bubblegum Club treats sgubhu as a sub-genre with named pioneers; Que of Distruction Boyz says producers use it as a put-down for commercial gqom and that his music is gqom.[1][3]

Who carried it

  • Afrotainmentlabel (Durban)

    Distruction Boyz are closely affiliated[4]

  • Gqom Oh!label (Italy)

    included a sgubhu track on its first compilation, 2016[5]

Moments

  1. 2016Distruction Boyz's productions ('Wololo' for Babes Wodumo) carry the lighter sound into the mainstream[3]
  2. 2017Distruction Boyz's album 'Gqom Is the Future' and 'Omunye'[3]
  3. 2026-06-12Akiid, tagged sgubhu in our data, plays Boiler Room Durban: Gqom[6]

The rooms it was made for

  • Public spaces and house parties

    Producers gathered in public spaces around 2013; DJs mixed sgubhu with gqom and hip-hop at house parties.[1][5]

  • Radio and big stages

    Distruction Boyz cleaned up structure and pacing to make the sound radio-ready; without it, Que says, gqom might still only be heard in taxis.[3]

Cities on Pulse

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

Artists on Pulse

3 artists and collectives tagged Sgubhu in our data, busiest cities first.

Sets to play

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

Set page
Set page
Set page

Questions about Sgubhu

What is sgubhu?

A melodic, more house-like strand of Durban gqom, usually with house synths over gqom drums.[1][4]

What is the difference between gqom and sgubhu?

Sgubhu is lighter and more melodic, closer to deep house; gqom is darker and more stripped back. Distruction Boyz say the gap is much smaller than critics claim.[2][3]

What does sgubhu mean?

According to Bubblegum Club, 'plastic bottle', also slang for loudspeaker noise.[1]

Sources

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

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