The Constructus Corporation

Lore & Background

The Constructus Corporation formed after Watkin Tudor Jones moved from Johannesburg to Cape Town following the breakup of his project Max Normal in 2002. He began collaborating with DJ Dope of Krushed & Sorted and Felix Laband on music for a multi-media project he had conceptualized, involving a graphic novel with a soundtrack and live show. These sessions produced the track "Man With No Name" on African Dope's Cape of Good Dope compilation in 2002, which later evolved into the Constructus Corporation outfit.

The group's debut and only album, The Ziggurat, was released in 2002. It was a concept album telling the story of a young rapper named Random Boy and his best friend Kidtronic, who live on a floating pyramid in outer space called the Ziggurat and must save it from an entity known as the Constructus Corporation. The album featured an accompanying graphic novel illustrated by Nikhil Singh. This album was Tudor Jones' first collaboration with vocalist Anri du Toit, who used the name Anica The Snuffling at the time.

Following the release of The Ziggurat, the Constructus Corporation disbanded, prompted largely by the record label's failure to release their album on time. Members went on to various projects: Jones expanded into graphic arts and fluffy toy-making, releasing projects such as the Watkin Tudor Jones solo project (also known as Fucknrad, with Sibot) and MaxNormal.TV with du Toit. Sibot and Markus Wormstorm later collaborated on The Real Estate Agents, and Felix Laband was signed by German label Compost Records.

Reader's Guide

The Constructus Corporation hold significance as a short-lived but pivotal South African electronic music group that served as a creative incubator for future major acts. Their sole album, The Ziggurat, was a multi-media concept album accompanied by a graphic novel, reflecting an ambitious fusion of music and visual storytelling. The group is historically notable as the first collaboration between Watkin Tudor Jones and Anri du Toit, who would later form the internationally known group Die Antwoord under the names Ninja and Yolandi Visser. The album also featured contributions from Felix Laband, who later gained recognition on the German independent label Compost Records, and Sibot, who collaborated on later projects. The Constructus Corporation's disbandment, caused by the record label's failure to release their album on time, illustrates the challenges faced by experimental projects in the South African music industry of the early 2000s. Their legacy lies in the subsequent careers of its members and the cult status of The Ziggurat as an early example of South African electronic concept albums.

Did You Know?

• The Constructus Corporation's debut album The Ziggurat was a concept album about a young rapper named Random Boy and his friend Kidtronic living on a floating pyramid in outer space.
• The group marked the first collaboration between Watkin Tudor Jones and Anri du Toit, who later became Die Antwoord's Ninja and Yolandi Visser.
• The Constructus Corporation disbanded after the record label failed to release their album on time.