City Of God & The Jungle Below

From stadium anthems to dance floor chart-toppers, Daniel Baron has proven himself to be South Africa’s own bonafide multi-genre award-winning hitmaker. Over a decade in the music industry has yielded him 12 number one hits, three critically acclaimed albums and a long string of chart hits written and produced for numerous local acts. After spending five years developing the concept, writing and then self-producing what is his largest project to date, the singer releases ‘City Of God & The Jungle Below’ – a career-defining mega-album featuring 25 new tracks set in a fictional post-apocalyptic world. It’s a cross-genre firework display of virtually all musical styles and sounds combined into a alternative pop spectacle. These songs tell a story both personal and universal, whilst showcasing some of the singer’s best vocal performances yet. “Now it’s time to release the album that I believe is the greatest body of work that I have created and possibly the greatest that I will ever create,” Daniel says. “I truly pushed myself physically, mentally and spiritually whilst creating this album. It’s been gruelling, but it’s also been therapy for me. I hope that it will take people on a journey to find some kind of enlightenment. It’s intended to be listened to from track 1 to track 25.” Baron’s experimental production sets the scene for an expansive and boldly unique sonic experience, from maximalist orchestral driven rock to intricate and futurisic electronic soundscapes. This is a concept album of biblical proportions that takes a cinematic journey through life’s different phases and states of being. PAIN, PSYCHOSIS, FAITH, LOVE and HOPE are the thematic interludes that join the different song chapters to culminate in the finale of TRANSCENDENCE — a megacosm of the journey that humanity must embark on. Daniel explains “The album is not only about my story. I believe that all people share this same story of journeying through this beautiful, scary, crazy jungle of life, eventually learning that it’s not all about us. We have to transcend our own egos and then give of ourselves to one another, to ultimately reach the City of God.” The album, which has been five years in the making, is preceded by the high-powered inspirational single ‘How To Feel’. The song, mastered by the Grammy-nominated Chris Gehringer, Stirling Sound and NJ (known for his work on the latest albums by OneRepublic, Dua Lipa and Lil Nas X) is about getting up again after a fall, and not being afraid to experience the good and the bad that life has in store for us. Daniel adds, “Often we tend to numb ourselves and avoid possible failures or hurts that we may need to endure, but I believe that God made us to taste the sweet and the bitter that life hands us. We need to learn how to feel again before our time on earth is up.” As the final refrain of the song aptly repeats: ‘Take a sip from the cup, before your time is up.’