ESA WILLIAMS - Dala What We Must

Marking twenty years since South African producer and DJ Esa Williams left Cape Town,
Dala What We Must is a deeply personal and expansive debut LP, an exploration of
movement, memory, and sound shaped by two decades of creative evolution.
Co-created with collaborator and multi-instrumentalist Robin G. Breeze, the album deftly
combines field recordings, layered instrumentation, and emotionally resonant compositions
into a nuanced, globally influenced body of work. It also stands as Esa’s most collaborative
release to date, featuring contributions from musicians across London, Oaxaca, Nairobi, and
Cape Town, each adding their own creative energy to a project built on openness, trust, and
shared experience.
The album draws inspiration from Esa’s recent ventures into documentary scoring and
soundtracking, with projects like Cursed (Audible) and The Invisible Hand teaching him to
listen differently, to honour space, to serve the story. That sensibility permeates the album,
resulting in music that breathes, lingers, and listens as much as it speaks.
The title, Dala What We Must, is a South African call to action: a reminder to do what’s
necessary, even in uncertainty. Finalised in the months leading up to Esa’s transition into
fatherhood, the record carries a sense of grounding, care, and quiet transformation.
Dala What We Must is a sonic reflection of journey and community, a deeply collaborative
project rooted in connection and guided by intention.

Vinyl release of Esa Williams - Dala What We Must. Released through BBE MUSIC and available on 2LP.