In a 2010 column, Barry Donegan, lead singer of Nashville post-hardcore band Look What I Did, said, “Rather than using online content to sell albums, bands should sell themselves as consistent providers of content.” This is precisely what Die Antwoord are doing on their latest mixtape, SUCK ON THIS– they are marketing themselves in the age of SEO and social media ephemera. And instead of lamenting the loss of permanence, Die Antwoord have embraced it on their new mixtape, which is essentially a 30-minute advertisement for their upcoming album, We Have Candy.

“So anyway, about 2 months ago we found out that rappers in the USA usually drop a free mixtape for their fans before they drop their album,” Ninja wrote in a press release. “So we thought, ‘Hey we wanna do that!’. THE BLACK GOAT showed us how you make a mixtape which was so fuckin fun! And we decided to call our 1st mixtape SUCK ON THIS! […] So kick back, pop some shamps or crack a brew, spark a fat blunt, and SUCK ON THIS.”

It’s sweet and enjoyable, but it’s impermanent. The goal is to make you want more when it’s gone.

Coincidentally enough (or perhaps not), SUCK ON THIS is very much like a sugary treat: It’s sweet and enjoyable, but it’s impermanent, and its goal is to make you want more once it’s gone. In that respect, the mixtape is a success: While it may not go down in history as a highlight of the duo’s discography, it definitely has enough curb appeal to make us wonder what’s next and put We Have Candy on the calendar.

The mixtape is a amalgamation of original songs, remixes, and interludes that serve to plug the band and We Have Candy. The duo introduces themselves on the opening track “DANCE WIF DA DEVIL,” with Ninja addressing the American audience that can’t really pronounce their name: “They say like, ‘die ant-woord’… it sounds f***ing stupid, actually. ‘Dee ant-voord.’ ‘Dee ant-voord.’ ‘Ant,’ like ‘can’t,’ then ‘voord.’ ‘Dee ant-voord.’ Say it properly.”

You’ll probably find yourself repeating the “Even in my bum, even-even in my bum” hook at inappropriate times.

As for the songs themselves, they’re largely forgettable, although “BUM BUM” is a highlight, a minimalist electro rap song that talks about a specific aspect of lovemaking (if you catch our drift). You’ll probably find yourself repeating the “Even in my bum, even-even in my bum” hook absentmindedly under your breath at inappropriate times. In case you haven’t picked up on it, this mixtape isn’t one to bump in the office without headphones. The remixes are also notable for Die Antwoord, since they traditionally haven’t let anybody remix their songs.

Even if SUCK ON THIS isn’t Die Antwoord at their best, that’s fine, because that isn’t the intent here. It’s not a repeat listen, but it’s not meant to be: it’s a quick, fun diversion. It’s a reminder that the world’s strangest South African duo still exists, and a reminder, just in case we forgot, that we like them and want to hear their new album. Sounds like good advertising.

Listen to the mixtape below, or download it here.

Images: Die Antwoord