http://drcmusic.org





Origine du Groupe : Democratic Republic of Congo

Style : Alternative Ethno Fusion , Electronic , Electro Acoustic , Experimental

Sortie : 2011



By Robin Denselow  from http://www.bbc.co.uk



An intriguing mixture of the ancient and contemporary, with every track different.



Kinshasa is a vast, sprawling and chaotic city with a glorious musical tradition. The capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo may have suffered from war and dictatorship, with the result that
many live in poverty, eking out a living on the streets; but there’s also an energy and a wild optimism that is reflected in the sounds that can be heard across the city. Kinshasa was home to
Franco, Africa’s greatest guitar hero, and is now famed for that rousing and remarkable disabled band, Staff Benda Bilili.



It’s only natural that the city would attract adventurous African music fan Damon Albarn, who arrived four years ago to work alongside local musicians with the Africa Express movement. His return
to Kinshasa this summer was rather different. Accompanied by a collective of 10 producers, making up the DRC Music project, he spent five days in the city, recording this album as a benefit set
for Oxfam.



Those involved include the French-African music specialist Marc Antoine; XL Recordings co-founder Richard Russell, who worked with the late Gil Scott-Heron; London-based producer Kwes; and hip
hop producer Dan the Automator. They went about the sessions in a highly unusual way: instead of recording separately, they all worked together in the same place, as a commune, with most of the
sessions held at a studio inside the French Cultural Institute. The French filmmakers Renault Barret and Florent de la Tullaye, responsible for the remarkable documentary about Staff Benda
Bilili, also became involved – they explained what was going on to different Kinshasa musicians, and invited them along to the Institute. Says Albarn, "I realised that I was witnessing and being
part of a whole new way of making music."



The resulting album is an intriguing mixture of the ancient and contemporary, with every track sounding different: electronica mixes with traditional African styles, reggae with funk and more. It
starts with the most commercial and Western-sounding song, Hallo, which features Albarn and Kinshasa singer Nelly Liyemge on a cool, melodic piece that begins with echoing keyboard lines before a
subtle blend of beats and wailing chanting are added. Then comes a blend of Congolese rumba, cha-cha, rock and hip hop on K-Town, featuring N’Gotshima and Bebson; and later, soulful vocals from
Yende Bongongo grace the sturdy, gently driving Lourds.



Other highlights include pieces from Bokatola System, who use anything from thumb piano and whistles to clattering percussion. On the remarkable Ah Congo, they start with what sounds like a
church service conducted to the sound of electronic beats, and are then joined by the edgy, growled, half-spoken vocals of Jupiter Bokondji, with a wash of effects added atop everything. Overall,
this is an album that’s well worth checking out, especially as the proceeds go to help Oxfam’s work in DRC.





Tracklist :

1. Hallo featuring Tout Puissant Mukalo and Nelly Liyemge - listen now above

2. K-Town featuring N’Gotshima and Bebson

3. African Space Anthem (A.S.A) featuring Ewing Sima of Tout Puissant Mukalo

4. Love featuring Love

5. Lingala featuring Bokatola System and Evala Litongo - listen now above

6. Lourds featuring Yende Bongongo of Okwess International

7. Respect Of The Rules featuring Loi X Liberal

8. We Come From The Forest featuring Bokatola System

9. Customs featuring Bokatola System

10. Virginia featuring Magakala Virginia Yollande and Yowa Hollande

11. Ah Congo featuring Jupiter Bokondji and Bokatola System - listen now above

12. Three Piece Sweet part 1 & 2 featuring Bebson

13. If You Wish to Stay Awake featuring Washiba

14. Departure featuring Bokatola System

http://nonplace.de

http://www.myspace.com/burntfriedmanjakiliebezeit

Origine du Groupe : Germany

Style : Electro Acoustic , Dub , Experimental , Psychedelic

Sortie : 2011

By  themilkman  from http://www.themilkfactory.co.uk



The partnership between German electronic musician Burnt Friedman and legendary Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit, established almost ten years ago, is back in action once more, following the 5 7 EP
released last year. This fourth instalment in the Secret Rhythms series continues on a similar path to its predecessors by bringing together rich rhythmic tones and rarefied electronic
formations. More than ever centered around Liebezeit’s hypnotic drumming, Secret Rhythms 4 sees the pair move into more minimal, stripped down terrains, the rhythmic patterns forever more
cyclical, repetitive and fluid, layered with fragments of electronics and guitars, themselves set into loops of varying intensity and length.



Four of the six tracks here go over the ten minute mark, with 182-11 clocking at just under sixteen minutes. This leaves the pair plenty of time to set their rhythmic structures in motion and
work on the trance-like aspect of the groove of each track until it starts distorting the perception of its very nature. So bare is the surrounding soundscapes created by Friedman around
Liebezeit’s overwhelming rhythms that, as tracks progress, it becomes difficult to identify with precision at which exact point one is. For the most of 128-05 for instance, the scope is divided
between Liebezeit’s alternating set of toms and bass drums and a recurring electronic two-tone bass which appears so tightly stuck to the drum patterns that it blends in almost entirely in the
background. Later, the bass is taken up a couple of octaves as Friedman progressively introduces sweeping textures, but this barely affects the hypnotic nature of the piece.



Before it, 204-07 shows a richer sonic space around the core rhythmic structure, although Friedman seems to remain slightly towards the back here, leaving long term collaborator Joseph Suchy, a
member of his Nu Dub Players, on E-Fuzz guitar to occupy the fore. Equally, 182-11 is a much more elaborate and complex piece, which grows over its all course from sparse drum inputs placed over
hazy soundscapes to much drier forms later on as treated guitars are introduced, while 120-05 later is once again criss-crossed with E-Fuzz guitar fragments, this time supplied by Tim Motzer,
giving it a more abrasive feel as the pace picks up.



On the two short tracks, 131-07 and 120-11, the sonic scope is considerably concentrated, which induces an element of urgency other absent of this record. The hectic pace of the former contrasts
with the more subtle progressive tempo of previous pieces, while the latter provides Friedman with the opportunity to develop miniature melodic forms and let them roam free for a moments before
they are ultimately brought back under the implacable control of Liebezeit’s percussions.



It appears that the further Burnt Friedman and Jaki Liebezeit develop their collaboration the more fascinating it gets. Secret Rhythms 4 is a less immediate record than its predecessors, perhaps
due to its barer overall aspect, yet the pair have reached here another level of development here, their understanding and respect of each other’s space allowing them both to perform as equal
whilst occupying very different roles, ultimately making this record their more compelling release yet.



Tracklist :

01 204-07 (10:44)

02 128-05 (10:21) mix by Mark Ernestus

03 182-11 (15:40)

04 131-07 (05:33)

05 120-11 (04:17)

06 120-05 (10:20) mix by Rashad Becker and Burnt Friedman