If the band name doesn't ring a bell, the breakbeats on this double CD set will certainly jog your memory right quick. Formed in the 1970s, Long Island, NY-based Lafayette Afro Rock band never did get the recognition they deserved in North America. Their early success was due to a move overseas and working with French producer Pierre Jaubert, where they gained a European following.
This compilation offers us their more successful tracks alongside less popular though no less compelling ones. The band would undergo various roster (and name) changes over the years — permutations included monikers such as Crispy & Co. and Captain Dax — but their penchant for funky, horn-drenched grooves remained consistent. Their Afrofunk cover of Manu Dibango's Soul Makossa — made larger than life by its catchy and oft sampled vocal refrain "ma-mako, ma-ma-sa, mako-mako ssa" — still sounds fresh, as does the saxophone break in "The Darkest Light," sampled by Jay-Z ("Show Me What You Got") Flying Lotus ("Vegas Collie"), Gorillaz ("Dirty Harry") and more.
Lesser-known cuts such as "Scorpion Flower" and even joints like the Salsoul-influenced "Autumn Leaves" or bizarre "Dr Beezar" are worth checking out, even if they ultimately aren't as memorable. For a funked-out band that have been consistently sampled in hip-hop and pop over the years, it's cool to see Lafayette Afro Rock Band get their props with this lovingly put together reissue treatment.
(Manifesto)This compilation offers us their more successful tracks alongside less popular though no less compelling ones. The band would undergo various roster (and name) changes over the years — permutations included monikers such as Crispy & Co. and Captain Dax — but their penchant for funky, horn-drenched grooves remained consistent. Their Afrofunk cover of Manu Dibango's Soul Makossa — made larger than life by its catchy and oft sampled vocal refrain "ma-mako, ma-ma-sa, mako-mako ssa" — still sounds fresh, as does the saxophone break in "The Darkest Light," sampled by Jay-Z ("Show Me What You Got") Flying Lotus ("Vegas Collie"), Gorillaz ("Dirty Harry") and more.
Lesser-known cuts such as "Scorpion Flower" and even joints like the Salsoul-influenced "Autumn Leaves" or bizarre "Dr Beezar" are worth checking out, even if they ultimately aren't as memorable. For a funked-out band that have been consistently sampled in hip-hop and pop over the years, it's cool to see Lafayette Afro Rock Band get their props with this lovingly put together reissue treatment.
