congotronics

S

soso

New member
I just saw Konono last night in Philly and my experience resonated with quite a few of these points. They were originally going to be booked in the First Unitarian Church, famous for doing lots of great all-ages rock shows. Then got moved to a show in WXPN's "World Cafe," which is the disgraceful architectural equivalent of that horrible public radio show which promotes middle-of-the-road music to NPR listeners everywhere. The show was sponsored by Starbucks.

It was horrible, and the band did not look too happy to be there. But what can you say -- you would have gone to the show, too. And it was really great to see them play.

I don't have much time for the argument that just because that fantastic Nonesuch record (Soul of the Mbira) and/or the amazing Zaiko Langa Langa precede them that we should sniff at the music or even, necessarily, at the people who are discovering the music for the first time. These are great musicians and they deserve some success. What we should be concerned about are the more specifically evil aspects of globalization ... and of course the World Cafe.
 
D

DJ PIMP

Well-known member
Came across this the other day and I'm blown away!

Its like Jeff Mills gone bush. Love the short insistent riffs and the rolling wall of textured percussion.

"Konono N°1 amplifies their pulsing trance music to the point of distortion, a brighter, punchier variety than the regionally-preferred “buzz” created by West African club owners when they intentionally plunge kitchen knives into the cone of a brand new jukebox speaker."

!!
 
B

big satan

HA-DO-KEN!
has anyone heard this yet?
congotronics2.jpg
 
H

hamzen

Member
Don't think anyones posted a link up to this wicked video of Konono No1.
http://www.crammed.be/craworld/movies/konono_promo.htm

I love that first album, have heard half of the second and it's patchier, but then it is a compilation.

Re exploitation by promoters, the name Bhundu Boys comes to mind :mad:
I sure as fuck hope it doesn't happen to them too.

Thanks for link toaster, that was well good. :)
 
C

claphands

Poorly-known member
Yeah it's less "cohesive," but that sometimes makes it a more pleasant listen because it has some variety that the first volume definitely lacks

def worth a listen
 
M

michael

Bring out the vacuum
Konono N°1 amplifies their pulsing trance music to the point of distortion, a brighter, punchier variety than the regionally-preferred “buzz” created by West African club owners when they intentionally plunge kitchen knives into the cone of a brand new jukebox speaker.
Click to expand...
Man, that's exactly what the Beatles used to do... well, maybe pre-Beatles... Quarrymen or whatever they were called?
 
M

Mike Powell

Revelatory
re: knifed speaker cones, I know that Dave Davies did this for songs like "You Really Got Me," but maybe the Beatles did, too.

I like Congotronics 2 pretty well, and I think that the DVD is a great thing to have to get a sense of context that is absent in the first set (and an absence that I think helped stimulate a lot of the speculative comparisons to US/European avant-garde types, for better and worse). Another nice thing about the compilation aspect to it is that it makes it seem more like a "scene," or at least something approaching a group/coherence vibe, whereas the Congotronics record sounded like -- and was presented as -- a kind of anomaly.
 
Z

zhao

there are no accidents
3 is really good too. more variety. a few more relaxed tunes, sweetest hypnotic melodies!

watching the film now, amazing. this music is simply transcendent. Tribal Shoegaze. True Skool Minimalism. Ali Farka Touré for Ravers. Mother of MBV and AFX.

polystyle desu said:
that analog- distortion percussive sound coming out of Bazombo trance musik .
Click to expand...

multiple continuums contained in the ebb and flow of these beats.
 
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wise

wise

bare BARE BONES
Kasai Allstars of Congotronics 3 fame are playing at The Barbican this Sunday 8.30pm. £10 in.

Hypnotic Jazz Ensemble also playing a free set there at 4pm, I haven't heard much of there stuff but 7 sons of the amazing Philip Cohran must hopefully have something going for em.

I'm hoping the Allstars finish in time for me to get to Cooly G at Fwd :slanted:
 
Z

zhao

there are no accidents
wise said:
I'm hoping the Allstars finish in time for me to get to Cooly G at Fwd :slanted:
Click to expand...

never seen this band but if Konono is anything to go by they tend to play on and on and on endlessly, peak after energy peak, and audience can simply never get enough.

i hoped they would never stop...
 
wise

wise

bare BARE BONES
zhao said:
never seen this band but if Konono is anything to go by they tend to play on and on and on endlessly, peak after energy peak, and audience can simply never get enough.

i hoped they would never stop...
Click to expand...

hmmm... guess i'll see Cooly at babalou instead then :D
 
M

massrock

Well-known member
wise said:
Hypnotic Jazz Ensemble also playing a free set there at 4pm, I haven't heard much of there stuff but 7 sons of the amazing Philip Cohran must hopefully have something going for em.
Click to expand...
Nice one.

Philip Cohran is the electric mbira OG so it's a perfect link with the Congo stuff.
 
P

polystyle

Well-known member
Re: Hypnotic Jazz Ensemble . Barbicon Sunday

They were playing in the subway here a couple years back.
For the part , it's a playful , loose street jazz they play.
Fun and not all serious.

Sounds like a good bill ,
Kasai was one of the highlights of Congotronics 2.
:D
 
Z

zhao

there are no accidents
rhythm is melody and melody is rhythm. ain't no difference between the 2 and they is the SAME thing.
 
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