Die Antwoord

South African electro-rap buzz band Die Antwoord aren't for everyone. If a band that sound like Slip N Slide Records aggressively mating with early '90s freestyle isn't your idea of fun, chances are the North American version of their debut album, $O$, will either annoy or terrify you. For Antwoord fans though, $O$ is an almost mind-blowing amount of fun. Yes, it has most of the tracks that were on the South African version, which came out last year —bizarre, eight-minute sex-dream story "Beat Boy," the 2 Unlimited-on-mushrooms head-trip that is "Enter the Ninja" and hyper-kinetic stomper "Wat Kyk Jy" — but it also has some fresh material. The hands down best track on the album is Diplo-produced new addition "Evil Boy," a super-up-tempo, dark-yet-danceable freak-out featuring Xhosa-speaking rapper Wanga. If the South African version of $O$ put Die Antwoord on the map as the most unusual band since Animal Collective, the North American reworking of the album proves they're way more than just a novelty act. They're one of the most exciting electronic acts of the last half-decade.