Van Pletzen have never shown much interest in subtlety, and their forthcoming fifth album BENAAIHILISM appears set to continue that tradition with the volume turned further upward. The title itself is an invented Mengels word, merging benaai with nihilism, and signals a collision of excess and unease: hedonism on one side, existential dread on the other.
For the duo, benaai points to life lived at full pace. It is the language of parties, indulgence and celebration. Set against that is a more uneasy current, with the album exploring meaning, purpose and the suspicion that none of it may matter much at all. In the hands of Van Pletzen, that tension sounds less like despair and more like fuel.
Peach van Pletzen has described BENAAIHILISM as “when existential dread meets the dance floor,” calling it a maximalist electronic record centred on nihilism, absurdity and the sheer joy of movement. It is a description that fits a group who have long treated irony, humour and club-ready chaos as compatible forces.
Ahead of more details arriving on April 29, the pair have released third single Gqeberha Shake Dat Ass. Out now, the track is a high-energy salute to Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth, and leans heavily into cheek, swagger and dancefloor momentum.
Packed with playful wordplay and designed for immediate movement, “Gqeberha Shake Dat Ass” suggests BENAAIHILISM will not be content to brood in the corner. Van Pletzen seem far more interested in turning anxiety into celebration, then seeing who follows them to the floor.
Stream “Gqeberha Shake Dat Ass” HERE.
