TRACK OF THE DAY: Konono No. 1 may well turn out to be an army of Harvey Masons and Rod Tempertons - hardcore session musicians who bring a certain inimitable something to everyone they work with. I exaggerate, of course, but it's very cool to see them participate in diverse musical contexts. The first name that comes to mind is Björk, but there is a new video circulating of their collab with Belgian rapper Baloji.
Baloji released his second album, Kinshasa Succursale, on January 27, with "Karibu Ya Bintou" as the leadoff single. Konono's metallic melodics are finally heard to their greatest percussive effect. They provide endless tonal variations on a basic guitar riff and a rambling groove that isn't beholden to any typical hip-hop production approach, save for the vocals. If anything, the music sounds more like a grimy, swampy New Orleans-style (yay Saints!) Mardi Gras anthem of years gone by. The surreal imagery of the video, with fire-eaters, skeleton outfits and such, only reinforces the comparison.
Though EMI France released Baloji's first album (which featured a cameo by Amp Fiddler) in 2007, and this song was published by Universal Music, it's unclear what label is going to be bringing this amazing music to a worldwide audience. We'll let you know what happens, and when.
Watch Baloji feat. Konono No. 1's "Karibu Ya Bintou" below.
Baloji released his second album, Kinshasa Succursale, on January 27, with "Karibu Ya Bintou" as the leadoff single. Konono's metallic melodics are finally heard to their greatest percussive effect. They provide endless tonal variations on a basic guitar riff and a rambling groove that isn't beholden to any typical hip-hop production approach, save for the vocals. If anything, the music sounds more like a grimy, swampy New Orleans-style (yay Saints!) Mardi Gras anthem of years gone by. The surreal imagery of the video, with fire-eaters, skeleton outfits and such, only reinforces the comparison.
Though EMI France released Baloji's first album (which featured a cameo by Amp Fiddler) in 2007, and this song was published by Universal Music, it's unclear what label is going to be bringing this amazing music to a worldwide audience. We'll let you know what happens, and when.
Watch Baloji feat. Konono No. 1's "Karibu Ya Bintou" below.
