Bongo Joe Records
Album Review: Nyati Mayi & The Astral Synth Transmitters -‘Lulanga Tales’: electro- African fusion that reaches higher.
Some people are extraordinary singers and some people have extraordinary voices. As a vocalist Nyati Mayi probably falls into the latter bag, able to project a stunning range of notes, tones, textures and feelings often within the same song. The thing with an extraordinary voice is that sometimes it needs grounding, a foundation that prevents …
New Track/Video: Dutch space-funksters Mauskovic Dance Band preview new album ‘Bukaroo Bank’ with its spikey title track.
It’s hard to pin down Mauskovic Dance Band. The mischievous Amsterdam four piece, Nicola, Donnie, Marnix and Mano Mauskovic, may playfully take the same surname to preserve some mystique but their collective purpose is deadly serious. For several years now they’ve been honing a very individual, skeletal electro- funk soundtrack from their Garage Noord workspace, …
Track/video: Electronic Afro-futurist partnership Nyati Mayi & The Astral Synth Transmitters preview the rootsy ‘Try Sunshine’ ahead of debut album ‘Lulanga Tales’.
When curious minds eventually meet, things usually happen. Multi-instrumentalist/singer Nyati Mayi and DJ/producer soFa elsewhere (aka The Astral Synth Transmitters) may circulate within the wild oscillations of the Brussel’s experimental electronica scene but it took the relative isolation of the 2020 lockdown to bring the pair together. One of the many musical snapshots Nyati posted …
Album Review: BKO – Djine Bora : explosive rock with Malian roots – magic direct from Bamako
BKO are a band with stamina and staying power who have been needling for attention on the global beat circuit for getting on ten years. Formed in Bamako in 2012 by master percussionist Ibrahima Sarr and his then drum pupil, Frenchman Aymeric Krol, the band soon expanded to a five piece with the introduction of …
EP Review: Chouk Bwa & The Ångströmers – Ayiti Kongo Dub #1: Fusing Haitian Voodou rhythms with techno intensity.
It was around this time a couple of years ago that the pairing of ceremonial drummers Chouk Bwa and techno extenders The Ångströmers’ first rumbled attention with their potent blend of Voodou rhythms and heavy bass currents. Their joint album ‘Vodou Ale’, released in 2020, stepped out way beyond any Haitian roots meets Belgian minimalism …
Album Review: Madalitso Band – Musakayike : joyful, jumping urban folk from Malawi
Big in Europe, unknown in Malawi…It’s not often that you can use that strapline about a band but that’s the trajectory so far for Madalitso Band, the enduringly upbeat partnership of Yosefe Kalekeni and Yobu Maligwa. The pair’s distinctive raw Malawian folk sound, bonded through years of busking in Lilongwe’s shopping malls, may have first …
New Track: Haitian rhythms/Techno intensity -Chouk Bwa & The Angstromers preview ‘Agwetaroyo’ from new EP
It was around this time a couple of years ago that the pairing of Chouk Bwa’s potent Vodou rhythms and The Angstromers’ electronic beat reductions first rumbled sound systems far and wide. Their album ‘Vodou Ale’ stepped out way beyond any Haitian roots meets Belgian minimalism tag, this was more than fusion it was a …
Album Review: Lalalar – Bi Cinnete Bakar: Furious electro-techno-rock from the Istanbul trio.
Those fine sound selectors at Bongo Joe have really been ripping up the new post punk envelope recently. We’ve had Tout Bleu’s dark-folk electronica, Amami’s earnest Rai inventions and most recently Societe Etrange caused a stir with their free form, dub informed workouts. Now the label is delivering direct from Istanbul, Lalalar’s debut album ‘Bi …
Album Review: Societe Etrange – Chance: Pulsating dub and post rock electronics from Lyon
Though long established in the Lyon post punk/electronic scene, Societe Etrange look set to extend their wavelength with a pulsating new album ‘Chance’ (available on Bongo Joe March 4th onwards). Evolving from the partnership of Antoine Bellini (electronics) and Romain Hervault (bass), the music of Societe Etrange has been oscillating within their city’s cluster of …
Track: Lyon based post punk experimentalists Societe Etrange preview their pulsating new album ‘Chance’.
New to Bongo Joe’s roster but long established in the Lyon post punk/electronic scene, Societe Etrange look set to oscillate more widely with their pulsating new album ‘Chance’ (released on the Bongo Joe label March 4th). Evolving from the partnership of Antoine Bellini (electronics) and Romain Hervault (bass) with roots in their city’s cluster of …