Now here’s something to shout about, a new gutsy global beats collective Yalla Miku coming out of the house of Bongo Joe Records with a debut self-titled album hitting the shelves from 31st March.
Formed by Bongo Joe founder, musician Cyril Yeterian and his band mate from the requisitely named Cyril Cyril, percussionist Cyril Bondi, Yalla Miku bring together the strands of Geneva’s multi-national underground scene and celebrate its vitality. Teaming up with Tout Bleu/ Hyperculte electro-pop synthesist, Simone Aubert, and Vincent Bertholet, from the mighty Orchestre Tout Puissant Marcel Duchamp, the ensemble has been made complete with the inclusion of Moroccan guembri player Anouar Baouna, Eritrean Samuel Ades on krar plus darbouka specialist Ali Bouchaki from Algeria. All regular players at the Bongo Joe record shop hoedowns, it’s that communal spirit which the band aim to spread through the grooves of their Yalla Miku album.
First single taken from the soon-come full release, ‘Asmazate’ crackles with that essential energy, Samuel Ades throat clearing vocal leading from the front as a snare thwacking, indie romp powers up. Then a twist, as the song shifts to overdrive, gnawa style, with a full pelt darbouka/krakeb percussive sprint that dares the call and response chorus to keep up. It’s a blast and a signal that Yalla Miku are pushing out beyond ‘world fusion’ to seek out deeper connections between traditions old and new.
For further proof check their other preview track, the whirling, hypnotic spell binder ‘Hyper Tigre’. Here’s another signal that as intended Yalla Miku’s debut will take you beneath the self-regarding artifice of Geneva’s institutional wealth to a place where real people work together on a different sort of richness. Date in the diary…it will soon be time to invest.
Pre-order your copy of ‘Yalla Miku’ by Yalla Miku from your local record store or direct from: HERE
No Comment