MC 011 – Themselves,  Ergo Phizmiz,  Amon Duul II ‘Made In Germany’ and ‘Legends Of Benin’

We have a lot to get through with this edition so I shan’t keep you to long.

The 20th anniversary of the Berlin wall coming down seems apt as I finally reach Amon Duul II’s LP ‘Made In Germany’. My article is full of information on the records subject matter, a 150 year journey through Germany’s history with all its references to war, art, opera and literature. This grand opus of a rock opera shares the same criticisms that most concept albums attract. Much lauded even by fans of German music this album has had a thorough kicking, in part due to its controversial topics. Recently Kasabian have come out and admitted to using the cover artwork as a backdrop to their own ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’.

We have three albums up for review this time round. The  left field Hip Hop of Themselves, Surrealist experimental musician Ergo Phizmiz and the latest compilation from German label Analog Africa all make an appearance.

I shall leave you to it.

(DV)

Themselves - 'Crowns Down' 2009

Themselves – ‘Crowns Down’

Anticon 2009

Vinyl (double)

Side 1.

1.    ‘Back II Burn’

2.    ‘Oversleeping’

3.    ‘The Mark’

Side 2.

1.    ‘Gangster Of Disbelief’

2.    ‘Daxstrong’

3.    ‘You Ain’t It’

Side 3.

1.    ‘Roman Is As Roman Does’

2.    ‘Skinning The Drum’

Side 4.

1.    ‘Dead Catcher II’

2.    ‘Gold Teeth Will Roll’

In recent times we have seen a flourishing underground movement in Hip Hop that has moved towards a rawer and more left field indie direction. Both in the use of their original beats and the style of delivery artists such as MF Doom, Madlib, Mr.Lif, Aesop Rock and Edan have remained low key in the background busily reinventing the scene. They all make the ridiculous blown up pretensions of commercial Hip Hop look frankly out dated and stale. Just because the likes of Kayne West sample Daft Punk it doesn’t mean that he has taken any risks.
You see it’s all calculated to the nth degree so that he can sell more of his pop lite banal brand of rap, we seem to have created a monster! His rival to the crown of most over-rated rapper is Jay Z whose recent headline at Glastonbury just made the case for yet more of that smoke and mirrors nonsense of epic proportions.
The last decade in Hip Hop has ended up being watered down for the X-Box generation, either brute force messages about killing to stay alive or boring ditties about girls and money by 50 Cent seem to be the only choices on offer to the masses. But there is an amazing scene that runs counter to its bloated rival helped by social networking sites and low key gigs that have promoted some of the more cutting edge and experimental groups out there.
Artists like Yo! Majesty and Uffie have broken through yet remain gritty and carry a lot of kudos, granted that they may not have the most politically charged of subjects in their resume. Like Spank Rock they may just want to shake their booty. All these artists have incorporated a back to basics approach into their music, rocking beats from the golden period of Hip Hop in the Eighties and merging them with an updated style of now.

Which leads me to the inventive duo of Dose One and Jel, who have both been involved in a long list of creative projects including the highly acclaimed cLOUDDEAD and Subtle, whose influence is heavy on this the third album from their creatively successful moniker Themsleves.
Dose One and Jel return to the old skool set up of MC and DJ to create an extraordinary poetic slice of never ending prose, set to a mix of beats and samples that conjure up memories of the golden period in Hip Hop of 1985 to 1989.
On top of this we get a layer of industrial strength effects and abstract sounds familiar to those used on Subtle’s ‘Exiting Arm’ LP.
The rapping features the distinct nasal style of Dose who never lets up on the tracks ‘Oversleeping’ and ‘The Mark’, in fact it sounds like he’s not going to ever come up for a breath. He uses this delivery style almost like an instrument in its own right as he spits rapid readings like a form of lyrical autism.
Famously back in the day Dose faced off against an unknown Eninem at a scribble jam, which he lost by the way though I think we know who the real winner is!
Partner Jel supplies the music and drum beats though some cool and dazzling effects, he borrows from Ultramagnatic MC’s, Kool G Rapp and Marley Marl. Like on the opener ‘Back II Burn’ which uses a heavily influenced electro break fest from Graig G era Transformer’, or the darker tones of past masters Paris and Big Daddy Kane on the track ‘Roman Is As Roman Does’.
His drum machine creates some deeply unwieldy moods that threaten to crush who those that step up to the challenge.

Highlights on the album include ‘Skinning The Drum’ which has samples flying around with nods of recognition to the pioneers, much in similar fashion to Edan on his ‘Beauty And The Beat’ LP.
The lyrics further back up the mood with the repeated refrain of “who was inventing it, who was wrenching it”,
On ‘Daxstrong’ a swirling playground ambience turns into an assemblage of breaks that could have been on the cLOUDDEAD album as Dose eloquently builds up a picture of social ills expressed in his clever use of lyricism.

My only criticism is in the track ‘You Ain’t It’ which sounds like a horrible vocoder pastiche of Californian bump and grind mixed with Hal Mar Superstar’s smooth brand of funk.
I’m not sure what they are trying to do with this song but it doesn’t in my mind sit well with the rest of the album.

This album thoroughly deserves your attention even if you don’t usually follow Hip Hop. A mix of experimental sound collage and subliminal wordplay suffused with the inventive use of samples ‘Crowns Down’ could be the equivalent of TV On The Radio’s ‘Dear Science’ LP from last year.
It will defiantly make my best of 2009 list.

Dominic Valvona

Ergo Phizmiz himself steering the Dada ship ever forward.

Ergo Phizmiz (& The Rock ‘n’ Roll Machine) – ‘Dadaphone’

Available through FMA (Free Music Archive)

1.    The Bomb
2.     It’s A Sin
3.    Saturday Night
4.    Karma Police
5.    A Little Respect
6.    Lets Get Ready To Rhumba
7.    Turn Around
8.    Slap My Bass Up
9.    I Think We’re Alone Now
10.  That Bassline

Ergo Phizmiz is the modern day equivalent to the Surrealist Max Ernst and Fluxus movements La Monte Young.
His work across installation, sound and performance pushes the ideals of Dada to more extremes with his nonsensical and childlike approach to sometimes-heavy themes.
An in demand composer who has had work commissioned for numerous art institutions as well as the BBC, his back catalogue is far and wide in range.
The common thread that runs throughout is that he doesn’t seem to take himself too seriously, a joyful abandon cannot be contained no matter how stiff the subject.
I actually briefly contributed to one of his projects a while back. At the time he was artist in residence at the Dimbola Lodge gallery on the Isle Of Wight, famous for being the home of Victorian photography pioneer Margaret Cameron; the Annie Leibovitz of her day hanging out with Tennyson and Darwin among many other renowned characters.
Ergo weaved a set of recordings around the history of the place with his storytelling sound collages, I found myself taking part with a conversation piece between us being cut up and added.
Anyway I’m diverting attention away from the album, let me continue back on track so to speak.

This ten track scattering of covers entitled ‘Dadaphone’ is a strange mix of Nineties commercial dance anthems, Eighties pop and some more credible labelled songs such as ‘Karma Police’ by Radiohead.
Erasure, Pet Shop Boys and shopping mall teen queen Tiffany all spring up and receive a tongue in cheek deconstructive form of dismemberment.
Ergo’s brand of medicine produces a mix of Captian Beefhart era ‘Electricity’ and Bonzo Dog band ‘Gorilla’, which on the Ant and Dec adjusted titled song  ‘Lets Get Ready To Rhumba’ is evident in the Bonzo’s Cambridge Footlights vaudeville humour.

The stand out tunes include The White Stripes style trash of ‘It’s a Sin’, which erupts into a slavishly grinded out blues number via the sonant ‘Greensleeves.’
As I mentioned before Radiohead’s ‘Karma Police’ is given the Ergo treatment, though his version becomes a jaunty polka knees up that drops a lot of the original sentiment out yet still captures some of the soul.
‘I Think We’re Alone Now’ is now a romantic mandolin led waltz through medieval France in the age of Chretien De Troyes. Both pleasant and joyful his appropriation of this Eighties pap actually lends it some gravitas that the original never envisioned.
By far my most favourite cover is Erasures classic ‘A Little Respect’, which in the hands of Ergo becomes a maelstrom of raw emotion played out by krautrockers noise merchants Faust.
Heavy yet not ridiculous it is a pretty deserving tribute.

Lesser highlights yet still worthy of your attention is the broken down cacophony of ‘That Bassline’. The bass line in question is Chic’s, which is accompanied by a mash up of competing riffs and refrains. Pure Beefheart in approach and spirit everyone sounds like they’re playing completely different tunes at the same time. It amusingly starts to work and instead of falling completely apart resignedly triumphs in its chaos.
Also on the album there are experimental nods to dance acts such as the Prodigy and pop princess Kylie as well as a sea shanty inspired rendition of the annoying hit ‘Saturday Night’. I can’t for the life of me remember who had the original hit but she was defiantly Dutch.

All of the tunes are freely available on the music site Free Music Archive, where you can choose at will or download the lot. My advice is to grab them all as everyone eventually grows on you.

God bless you Ergo Phizmiz! May your avant garde ship of tomfoolery continue to set its course through the oceans of mediocrity and boredom.
Not too strong I hope!

Dominic Valvona.

Analog Africas 'Legends Of Benin' compilation 2009.

‘Legends Of Benin’ (Afro Funk – Cavacha – Agbadja – Afro Beat 1969 to 1981) –  Gnonnas Pedro/ El Rego/ Antoine Dougbe/ Honore Avolonto.

Double Album available on both Vinyl (version reviewed and CD)

Accompanied by the following backing bands: -

Dadjes
Panchos
L’Orchestre Poly-Rythmo
L’Orchestre Black Santiago

Compiled by Samy Ben Rejob for Analog Africa Records, 2009

Track List:-

Side A

1.    ‘Dadje Von O Von Non’ – Gnonnas Pedro et Ses Dadjes (3:53)

2.    ‘Feeling You Got’ – El Rego et Ses Commandos (3:44)

3.    ‘Honton Soukpo Gnon’ Antoine Dougbe  (7:05)

4.    ‘E Nan Mian Nuku’ – El Rego et Ses Commandos (4:26)

Side B

1.    ‘Tin Lin Non’ – Honore Avolonto et l’Orchestre Poly-Rythmo (8:48)

2.    ‘Okpo Videa Bassouo’ – Gnonnas Pedro et Ses Panchos (3:30)

3.    ‘Ya Mi Ton Gbo’ – Dougbe et l’Orchestre Poly-Rythmo (6:34)

Side C

1.    ‘Nou Akuenon Hwlin Me Sin Koussio’ – Antoine Dougbe (5:03)

2.    ‘Na Mi Do Gbe Hue Nu’ – Honore Avolonto (6:44)

3.    ‘Vimado Wingnan’ – El Rego et Ses Commandos (3:01)

4.    ‘Dou Dagbe We’ – Honore Avolonto et l’Orchestre Black Santiago (4:26)

Side D

1.    ‘Djobime’ – El Rego et Ses Commandos (2:31)

2.    ‘Kovito Gbe De Towe’ – Antoine Dougbe (6:39)

3.    ‘La Musica en Verite’ – Gnonnas Pedro et Ses Dadjes (7:08)

Afro beat; Afro funk and all its many bewildering sub genres have always slightly perplexed me. I’ve often taken a peek and thumb through the African music section in all the record shops that I regularly frequent, though until now I have left it well alone. The sheer depth and number of styles have often left me confused, as a novice I feel a little shy to point out my ignorance, though it never usually stops me from having a punt and purchasing a record on chance alone.
Well on this occasion my first ever-actual buy was aided by complete chance.
I happened to be in Borderline Records store in Brighton, an emporium of reissues and forgotten gems from bygone ages. On that day they were playing some pretty groovy foot tapping sounds, a quaint version of early Stax mixed with liberal lashings of James Brown’s infused funky Zaire period soul.
Instantly I became hooked as my whole body decided to break out into some embarrassing Paul Simon induced dance routine. Cut a long story short I ended up asking the owner what he was playing, he kindly showed me what it was and I ended up with ‘Legends Of Benin’ a lovingly compiled album of 14 tracks by four of the African country of Benin’s finest artists. In case your knowledge of African geography is shaky, Benin is in the west and borders Togo, Nigeria, Burkino Faso and Niger. Tightly caged in by its neighbours the influence of all these regions leaks into the music to create a unique mash up of rhythms and beats, that switches from rhumba to rocksteady in the blink of an eye.

The artists on this album include the likes of Gnonnas Pedro, a politically charged crusader, El Rego, an entrepreneur of dubious enterprises including a brothel and a boxing club, Antione Dougbe a much feared Vodun priest and Honore Avolonto, responsible for the country’s biggest selling album of all time.
These pioneers of poly-rhythmic charged music were all collected together by German based label Analog Africa’s Samy Ben Redjeb, an honourable sounding advocate of the genre who should be commended for his efforts.
His personal sleeve notes lavishly grace the record with a real fondness and warmth, though he had many problems licensing and obtaining permission to release this record. Three of the four artists are no longer with us so their legacy has been left in the hands of relatives and old musical comrades, not all of them initially eager or trusting in the beginning.

The music itself is a combination of funk, rhumba, soul and an attempt at reggae, all served with a thick dose of infectious grooving traditional African rhythms and instruments. Local bands to the region back each of the artists, from the military moniker Commandos to the exotically named Black Santiago.
Being a former colony of France the songs are titled and sung in the former interlopers language, if it makes sense these tracks even sound like their being played in French.

Highlights on this record include El Rego’s ‘Feeling You Out’, which has an inviting bass line that introduces a prime slice of James Brown at the Apollo rawness whilst the sax sounding squeaks coupled with a break beat backing make this into sound like a missing Northern soul stomper.
Antoine Dougbe, the high priest of some primal religion who professed to be the spirit of a dead relative sent back to this world so he could heal and curse those who cross him, concocts a swinging style of pulsating and joyful abandon on ‘Ya Mi Ton Gba’. His more down to earth day job as a musician is less frightening then his reputation precedes.
Honore Avolonto on ‘Tin Lin Non’ delivers an Afro beat groove behemoth that just never lets up, whilst Gnonnas unleashes a call and response soul spine tinkler with ‘Okpo Videa Bassovo’. His ‘Dadje Von O Von Non’ opens with ghostly sounding twanging guitars and features catcalls over a bouncing melody.
Some of the tracks are more laid back and quite subtle evoking comparisons to ska.
There is a real sense of authenticity running through these tunes and they come across as quite fun to make.
All the musicianship is tight with plenty of space to let it breath, there are no solos or hogging of the limelight to be found.
As to all the different genres I’m still not too sure how they’re prescribed only that it has something to do with timing, the instrumentation and that some of the styles are derived from ceremonies and folklore. None of this matters of course as they all sound great.

Chuck this on to get any party moving and to impress your know it all friends.
Thanks Analog Africa for introducing me to an untapped rich library of quality world music.

Dominic Valvona

A German Music Odyssey – (1968 to 1975)

Part 8 – Amon Duul II   ‘Made In Germany’

Background: -

Sadly this will be the last in the series dedicated to Amon Duul II before I go to work on Colognes finest Krautrock advocates Can.
But I’m ending it with the bands sensational Teutonic rock opera of 1975 ‘Made In Germany’.
This epic homage to the Who’s ‘Tommy’, broadly mixes in all the low and high points of Germanys history, from the birth of a united country in the 1800’s to the fall out of World War II. Along the way countless references incorporate a host of cultural figures, from composers such as Wagner to the philosopher Kant.
Politically charged and self-mocking this album both courted mock disdain and controversy, which we will come to later.

Firstly that’s rewind back to 1974, a stressful period in the bands career. Coming home after a tout and emotionally draining tour the guys needed a little down time, members had upped and left whilst the direction of the music was in turmoil.
Along comes the A&R man Jurge S. Korduletsch, a man of considerable means who had recently set up his own label Lollipop Records. Certain promises were made and before you knew it he had signed them up.
At once he pushed the band into a recording session, this hastily orchestrated session became the backbone of their next release ‘Hi-Jack’. This strange record became their most commercial marketable album yet and oddly borrowed heavily from Bowie and glam rock.
It was at this point that Atlantic records came calling offering a deal to release their music in the states, though they would also release the LPs under the ATCO division in the US and Canada. This may have been in response to the relative success that Virgin were having with bands from Germany, Tangerine Dream and Can amongst others.
After some initial success with ‘Hi-Jack’ it was agreed that now would be the time to follow up with something quite ambitious, as well as a great fuck you to the establishment and sensibilities of the man.
John Weinzierl puts it that they basically become disillusioned with the so-called changes in society and empty gestures of the underground youth movements. Also it was apparent to him that history itself was not moving on and that his fellow compatriots were still seen as the bogeyman of Europe. Even though his generation had seen the horrendous fall out of the former regime and reacted to it by pushing the leftist antidote forward, they were still envisaged as bad guys. As much as they tried to separate and fight against it, the world carried on viewing them with suspicion and always eager to remind them of the war.
With all this in mind Weinzierl and the group embarked on a grand project which would see them releasing a double album of songs based around a central theme of irony and self-provocation. This would take both real and made up figures from the rich history of the country, borrowing heavily from literature, film, opera, fantasy and real life events.
The Weimer Republic, Fritz Lang, King Ludwig, Hitler and Marlene Dietrich all make an appearance in this cliché heavy diatribe. From the unification under the heavy brow beating of Prussia, which came after the eventual victory over Napoleon to an initial story involving a character named Mr.Kraut, this LP has it all crammed in.
‘Made In Germany’ is like nothing they’ve done before and continued instead a move towards a crossover rock and pop experimentation, which ‘Hi- Jack’ had tried before.
By this point they shared nothing in common with any of their fellow countrymen in style or direction as they went out on a limb with their new brand of classical music and intelligent rock.

In the krautrock fraternity this record is usually given a wide berth, which is unfair. A loyal bunch of us have a certain fondness though and will go on about it quite a lot, spreading the word so to speak. Recently to my surprise a new champion in the form of Kasabian came forward, who both rate the record and admit to using its cover as inspiration for ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’.

The cover artwork of ‘Made In Germany’ is itself different depending on which of the two different versions you have.
In both the US and UK a compressed single LP version (see track list) was released. This had Renate dolled up to look like Marlene Dietrich from the movie ‘The Blue Angel’, she has an alluring but contemptuous gaze as she straddles a chair in true Cabaret style.
The original version used a picture of the band sitting for an old fashioned portrait bedecked in various costumes including Bavarian pomp, what looks like a Zeppelin pilot and Renate as a heroine from Wagners Ring Cycle. This is the picture that Kasabian re-enacted for their album.
This original was included in the single version on the inlay sleeve as well, so not sure why they buggered about with it.
The reasons for their being two variations comes down to a fall out with Atlantic boss Ahmet Ertigon, who was mightily surprised to find his latest signing offer up this platter of Germanic mayhem and political satire.
Finding it in poor taste and completely misreading the concept he got cold feet and cut the album down, only Germany itself to my knowledge received the proper double album. Rumours that Ahmet’s Jewish background played a part, though on being told that Amon Duul II wanted to embark on a US tour/invasion by travelling over in a Zeppelin can’t have helped matters. Remember this is only thirty years after the end of World War II itself.
Also the original contains a mock shock DJ interview with Hitler himself, which uses his speeches as the DJ pokes fun with a knowing wink and some poor taste quips. All this has been available on CD for years now so you don’t have to miss any of the stuff that was cut out on the single album.

The recording itself included session players such as Thor Baldursson, the Icelandic keyboardist and singer who worked with Giorgio Moroder and Grace Jones, Heinz Becker, Lee Harper, Bobby Jones and Helmut Sonnlestner, who all had a background in jazz.
New boy Nando Tischer became a fully ingrained member of the band playing guitars and singing as well as composing some of the songs. Robby Heibl was back on duty again and mucked in on near enough everything, he was also now the designated bass player of the group.
John Weinzierl is credited as guitarist but was the leader so to speak of Amon Duul II and is responsible for a far old share of the concept and composition.
Renate and Chris Karrer do most of the singing whilst Falk U Rogner supplied his sonic delft touches on synth and organ.
The talented Peter Leopold, who gets some room to show of his old ‘Yeti’ solos, supplied drums as usual.
All of the musicians do a sterling job and it is amongst the best of their whole catalogue. Obviously the songs are more structured but there is always room for inventiveness and some great lead guitar work.

Right I think that covers the background details now its time for the review.
I’ve chosen the original double album version to write about but have included both track listings for completion.
Also at the end of the review there is a complete list of all their releases up to date.
Weinzierl and some of the core members continue to tour and are embarking on a new album. Also they are set to be busy with showcasing some of their old material for a one off filmed performance that will take place in the original Bavaria studios.
Of course I will update you on when this will happen.

Review:-

‘Made In Germany’ 1975

Double gatefold LP on Nova Records, only released in Germany at the time.

Record 1.

1. Overture    (5:12)

2. Wir Wollen    (1:32)

3. Wilhelm Wilhelm    (3:10)

4. SM II Peng    (2:16)

5. Elevators Meets Whispering    (1:26)

6. Metropolis    (3:27)

7. Ludwig    (2:32)

8. The Kings Chocolate Waltz    (2:28)

9. Blue Grotto    (3:33)

10. Mr.Krauts Jinx    (8:44)

Record 2.

1. Wide Angle   (4:06)

2. Three-Eyed Overdrive    (1:17)

3. Emigrant Song    (3:21)

4. Loosey Girls    (5:13)

5. Top Of The Mud    (3:45)

6. Dreams    (4:08)

7. Gala Gnome    (3:52)

8. 5.5.55    (1:39)

9. La Krautoma    (6:08)

10. Excessive Spray    (1:41)

Single version on one record released in 1975.

UK – Atlantic Records

US/Canada – ATCO

Side A.

1. Dreams    (4:08)

2a. Ludwig    (2:33)

b. The Kings Chocolate Waltz    (2:52)

c. Blue Grotto    (3:33)

3. 5.5.55    (3:13)

4. Emigrant Song   (3:23)

5. La Krautoma    (4:45)

Side B.

1. Metropolis    (3:38)

2. Loosey Girls    (5:20)

3. Gala Gnome    (1:18)

4. Top Of The Mud    (3:44)

5. Mr.Krauts Jinx    (8:48)

Personal: -

Renate Knaup: Vocals

Robby Heibl: Vocals, Bass, Guitars and Violin

Chris Karrer: Vocals, Guitar, Banjo and Violin

Peter Leopold: Drums and Percussion

Falk U Rogner: Synthesizer and Organ

Nando Tischer: Vocals and Guitar

John Weinzierl: Guitar

Thor Baldursson: Keyboards

Heinz Becker: Timpani, Gong and Percussion

Lee Harper: Trumpet, Brass Section

Bobby Jones: Saxophone (Solos on ‘Loosey Girls’)

Jurgen S.Korduletsch: Additional Backing Vocals and Producer

Helmut Sonnleitner: First Violin and String Section

A rolling timpani and clashes of cymbals announce the theatrical opening bars of ‘Overture’. A prelude orchestral snippet of all the tunes to come, it is used in a similar fashion to the same titled song on The Who’s ‘Tommy’.
This Wagner evoking composition transcends his ‘Ring Cycle’ stiffness and is instead an uproarious celebration of this inspired requiem that Amon Duul II have set sail on.
Played out in full classical pomp this overture of sorts’ sets us up for the 150-year journey through Germanys history.
The track makes its way through all the different melodies on this album, 8 bars or so of each song to come is given the ceremonial treatment before a final clash of the gong and the next track ‘Wir Wollen’ strikes up.
Roughly translated as Come On!, this rock steady instrumental groover continues the classical mood. Old joy de vie orchestral pieces from past dead German composers interact with the lead guitar of John Weinzierl as the percussion crashes about in the background., culminating in an epic finale.
‘Wilhelm Wilhelm’ breezes along on some hip riffs as Renate and Chris Karrer enter the fray with their harsh Germanic tones that tell the tale of King Wilhelm I of Prussia (between 1861 – 1888) and later on the whole of united Germany (1871 – 1888).
Wilhelm had fought against Napoleon in his youth and went onto to rule the kingdom of Prussia before eventually brow beating all the separate states, of what was to become Germany, into eventual unification.
He famously appointed Otto Von Bismarck as his Prime Minister, which was in part due to the ill feeling and distrust between the royal household and parliament. Bismarck was to act as his man on the inside and to be sympathetic to the Kings views but this gave way to him taking on most of the decisions and led to him gaining most of the real power.
Added to this the founding of the a new Fatherland were plots of assassination by anarchist and left wing groups, which led to draconian laws being introduced against the liberals and free thinkers. King Wilhelm was lucky to escape with his life and was wounded in one of these attempts, which he saw as a wake up call and prompted a lock down mentality and placed the country in a militarised state, ring any bells!
Our three-minute funky number encapsulates all this background into a poppy little ditty that is both sung in English and their native tongue. A chiming melody and a crunchy wah wah effects driven guitar gives this song an almost rock disco feel, whilst Peter Leopold lets loose on the cymbals that end in an eruption.
The strange and exotic titled ‘SM II Peng’ is next up, another instrumental interlude. It ambles along in fine fettle abandon riffing off a 12 bar blues boogie with the accompaniment of some spooky sounding effects from Falk U Rogner. The track sounds like a cheerful wander through a graveyard or a sit down at an séance in a Gothic palace.
This is followed by another instrumental segue way entitled ‘Elevators Meets Whispering’, which apart from its strange use of English is another slice of mysterious creepy and misty fog bound graveyard atmospherics.
Our odd curio is given some gravitas from Weinzierl and his strung out haunting guitar strums before this short interruption abruptly ends and makes way for the big guns.
‘Metropolis’ begins with a grand piano, which accompanies a staccato riff of rock as Renate’s sultry Teutonic tones gloriously paint a picture of 1920’s Weimar through the films of Fritz Lang.
Lang and his most famous work of art ‘Metropolis’ is dissected and referenced throughout the tune, nods to both locations and the underlying plot are connected to paint a picture of disillusionment. Angles, Dr.Mabuse and Zeppelins all pop up, as the workers remain left at the bottom of a modern day version of the Tower of Babel. As in the biblical tale a common language is lost between those in control who reached the peek by standing on the underclass’s faces and those who ended up in a shitpile after building futile monuments to false ideologies.
This expressionistic romp both mixes Sparks and Roxy Music into a boogie Euro stomp; Renate adds a dose of eccentricity with her approach to the vocals that are sung with enthusiasm but also with the hint of cynicism. She sounds like a heroine from one of Klimts paintings or an oracle from Wagners ‘Valkyrie’. This is one of the albums many highlights.

Next up is the three-part story arc suite of poor old King Ludwig, a much maligned and ridiculed figure from German history.
The first of these acts is ‘Ludwig’ which tells the tale of his apparent suicide by drowning, though a strange plot to get rid of him by his ministers makes for a good conspiracy theory.
Ludwig II of Bavaria was brought up in a privileged world and he inherited his fathers’ exuberance for fantasy and myth. His love of arts and music led to him patronising the controversial Richard Wagner, who had been involved in anti-establishment intrigues and had run away once after taking part in protests. This lonely king was more at ease with images of old folklore and Arthurian legend then with the day-to-day running of his country.
After the unification of all the individual kingdoms by Wilhelm, Ludwig stayed on his throne but with a diminished role. Following his late fathers building plan of extensive palaces and castles, he plunged his domain into bankruptcy. Not wishing to take advice from his ministers he threatened them with being removed.
Plots to have the king certified as mentally unstable were slowly put into place, a hasty draft was sent for approval to Bismarck himself who dismissed the claims.
Another attempt with the involvement of four prominent physicians of the day sealed his fate, though he didn’t come quietly and its alleged he may have been shot whilst escaping on Lake Starnberg. It was announced to the world that he had committed suicide but we know better – right?
‘Ludwig’ crams all of this background into a satire inspired boogie that has Renate on lead vocals again.
‘The Kings Chocolate Waltz’ is an instrumental stopgap built around a sad sounding Wurlitzer loop. Some echo and deep reverb drenched guitars are added to the stirring ambience.
Our short story arc is finalised with ‘Blue Grotto’, with its poetic and crooned delivery from Renate. Ludwig and his eccentricities are given an airing in this ballad to the misunderstood actions of the deluded king.
What chance did he have when he was famously brought up in the Disney like palace of Neushwanstein, which was situated near to Schwansee or under its better-known moniker Swan Lake. In fact Ludwig was nicknamed the Swan King after it.
All the references in this song are adhered to in the true misfortunes of the foppish monarch, moonlight picnics and hanky panky in the nude with his male servants add to the fascinating tale of a little boy lost.
Renate has named this her favourite song in the whole Amon Duul catalogue.

Leaving behind the fateful old charming Ludwig we end the first part of the album with the eight minute long tale of ‘Mr.Krauts Jinx’. A heavily German toned vocal from Karrer sets up the story of our unfortunate character Mr.Kraut, more of that tongue in cheek approach of self-disdain.
Our character is exploring the Valley Of Kings in Egypt on some cheap package tour I expect though this one ends with him being beamed up by extra terrestrials. This unforeseen addition to his holiday sees him travel through the cosmos before he is promptly placed in a space zoo as the latest exhibit. Some anthropologist type of table turning or reference to the search by right wing ideologist for a white superman we can’t be sure. But over the course of the song we go from a warm acoustic introduction in the vain of Dylan before we progress to what amounts to some thrashing out rock aspirations.
The end of our story is a kind of positive as Mr.Kraut is thrown a concubine of well-equipped proportions to spend his eternity with; our man now has a smile on his face.
A final refrain of “Cause future ain’t tomorrow, future is today” rings out in uplifting defiance or because ones fate is finally sealed.
Karrer seems to have a few problems with singing this track, as he almost goes out of tune with some of the lines.
I’m at odds with this track as it remains in my eyes a bit of a filler and lets the whole album down with its almost Euro embarrassing direction.

The second part of the album starts with the country rock inspired buoyant jaunt of ‘Wide-Angle’. Renate is at her ‘All Years Round’ best as she reminisces about the days of self abandon in the Munich communes. Dropping acid and hanging onto every word of a lost love interest that long since moved on and left the original principles of change back at the bed-sit.
Both the aspirations and drugs are now replaced in the stars backstage with “compromised cocktails” lavishly bestowed upon our band by the new suit wearing management. I can’t help but think this is a dig at how their music has been adopted into a more commercial arena along with bands like Can who after 7 or 8 years have finally to a point compromised their sound.
‘Three Eyed Overdrive’ is another one of those instrumental interludes, which features more haunting synths and organs. This time the main thrust is a pulsating synth that becomes pretty disturbing as it moodily stews away.

Karrer delivers a heavy burdening thick German accent in the next tune ‘Emigrant Song’. Cuckolding a parody driven lament to the story of the first German settlers to try and make their way in the USA. Escaping all the loons and stiffs from back home they hope to take a slice of the new world but end up in the inhospitable lands of Sierra Nevada. It would take brave men indeed to tame this mountainous region which had the worst of both climates, it could be either stiflingly melting hot or become snow bound frozen tomb.
Some stereotyping of German traits is delivered with an outburst of banjo and homage to the Native Indians history as penned by Bob Dylan.

The paintings of Otto Dix, Max Beckmann and George Grosz influence the Weimar Republic hedonism of ‘Loosey Girls’.
Heavy doses of Pink Floyd era ‘Meddle’ are played out over this alluring jazz number, which features a saxophone solo and the hard pressed vocals of Karrer.
A cabaret inspired world of depravity in the days before the stirrings of the far right put an end to such loose times, this song weaves a heartfelt poem of woe as our prostitute heroine falls into a society of despair. It all sounds like Karrer has seen it happen too many times, though it has quite a moving melody and hits the right spot even though it carries some sentimentality.
‘Top Of The Mud’ ups the tempo as we get a heavy rock rendition of blues that ends in a glam infused knock at the current music scene. Renate and Karrer sing in unison as they lampoon their own route from space rock troubadours playing music from another dimension to the more structured ambitions of recent years. With lines like “might not be much fun, without any fans” they comment on their own situation within the industry and sound jaded and knocked about by the increasing lack of faith in what they are doing. Though it is unfair as this album could be their best.

Confidently sweeping in is the heavy South American tango tinged ‘Dreams’. Passionate Cuban like sounds and melody infused with the ruminants of a flamingo style shindig add to this track that has Karrer swoon about sharing thoughts of a love that got away through his dreams.
A segue way instrumental ‘Gala Gnome’ intrudes proceedings with an ambient brief interlude. Delayed synth combined with a low engine like hum produce an unnerving breather before the next song ‘5.5.55’ arrives to much anticipation.
Better known as the 5th of May 1955 this is the date that West Germany gained full sovereignty, though the US kept its presence there hoping to put off any plans the Soviets might have creeping over the boarder.
The economic miracle of which this track speaks started off through the seeds of the Marshall plan and catapulted the Germans to becoming one of worlds most productive and eventually rich economies. By 1973 they had help found the G6 nations group and became the industrial capital of Europe, all within thirty years of the end of the war.
Contrary to belief they didn’t exactly get away with it easily as both culturally and scientifically all intellectual property was either appropriated by the US or swallowed up into the allied nations own companies.
Both France and the UK received more money through the Marshall plan then Germany, it wasn’t until the Eighties that we in the UK paid our debt off. Germany had paid a higher interest fee off and eventually by the mid Seventies had got rid of its debt.
All this is adhered to in the song as this rock heavy jolting tune asks what could have been, space programmes are both mentioned in the sense of lost opportunity but also pilloried as being paid for by those who can’t afford it.
A reference is also made to the Kraupp dynasty, a 400 year old industrial family who owned some of the biggest steel and ammunitions factories in the country. Sympathetically playing to whoever was in charge at the time the family business survived most leaderships. A cosy relationship with the Nazi party helped them get all the major contracts to supply the army.
Alfried Kraupp was head of the company at the time of the thirties and forties, an opportune shady wheeler-dealer he used slave labour during the war supplied by an ever-helpful Herr Hitler. Alfried got cold feet after the failure of the German invasion of Russia and started to siphon off money and try to keep a distance from the regime. After the war he was put up for war crimes and received a 12 year sentence and made to sell off his company, but here’s the sickening part. No one brought his business and after spending half his initial sentence incarcerated he was allowed out to take control again. This reinforces in part the underlying mistrust by the next generation who inevitably ended up trying to overthrow the system.

At the end of ‘5.5.55’ there is a short interjection. In the style of a shock jock US radio interview, a rambling 80 syllables a second ranter puts across questions to Hitler as though he was questioning the leader of some band. Hitler answers with snippets of his original speeches as our DJ mockingly goads him. This interview builds up with what sounds like an audience waiting in a theatre for the performance to begin. All of a sudden they all break out into a feverent applause and cheering as Amon Duul II strike up their last jam. It becomes apparent that this audience is the one at Nuremburg.
The six minute instrumental ‘La Krautoma’ is based on the popular South American derived ‘La Paloma’, an old folk type song that has been recreated a million times across every country. Hell Elvis used it for his hit ‘No More’.
This space rock balling freak out mixes in the old country tune as Peter Leopold lets rip with one of his most ambitious drum solos of all time.
Aggressive guitars intercede as notes are left on sustain and put through pitch shifters, whilst all hell breaks loose as pure flights of fancy take hold of the band.
As the last galactic charging rhythms and effects fade out ‘Excessive Spray’ draws this grand opus to a close.
Military played recall on the snare accompanied by ‘Yeti’ era subtle ambient stirrings end in triumph. Falk’s synth has its last say with some Gothic pretensions, whilst we feel a sudden sadness loom over the horizon. Never again would we hear Amon Duul II in such a creative manner, complete sounding even if it is a move away from the improvised jams of yore.

So ends Krautrocks most overtly ambitious and aspiring work of art, a beacon of farce that attracts only those willing to learn and willing to experience a direction in music rarely repeated.
To be fair I’ve dissected this album to the point of obsession but hope in doing so that my enthusiasm sends you in the right direction and that you don’t dismiss the record as folly or high jinx theatrics.
Though I hate bands who gabble on about their influences, Kasabian’s unexpected nod to ‘Made In Germany’ may give it some attention, the richly deserved sort of attention that bands like Neu! and Can attract with ease. Though these guys sound practically stiff and cold in comparison to this.

Amon Duul II - 'Made In Germany' 1975.

DISCOGRAPHY:-

1969 – ‘Phallus Dei’

1970 – ‘Yeti’

1971 – ‘Dance Of The Lemmings/ Tanz der Lemminge’

1972 – ‘Carnival In Babylon’

‘Wolf City’

‘Utopia’ (Side project)

1973 – ‘Live In London’ (Live)

‘Vive La Trance’

1974 – ‘Hi-Jack’

‘Lemmingmania’ (Compilation)

1975 – ‘Made In Germany’

1976 – ‘Pyragony X’

1977 -  ‘Almost Alive’

1979 – ‘Only Human’

1981 – ‘Vortex’

1987 – ‘Anthology’ (Compilation)

1989 – ‘Milestones’ (Compilation)

1992 – ‘Live In Concert :BBC recording from 1973 (Live)

1996 – ‘Eternal Flashback’

‘Kobe’ (Reconstructions)

‘Nada Moonshine’

‘Live In Tokyo’ (Live)

1997 – ‘Flawless’ (Compilation)

1999 – ‘The UA Years: 1969-1974’ (Compilation)

2000 – ‘Manana’ (Compilation)

Official site:-

http://www.amonduul.de/main.html

PART 9:- We’re off to Cologne next as we leave our Munich friends behind for the first part in the series on Krautrocks most popular group Can.

The freethinking improvised masters of everything from west coast rock to world music via cut up experimentation, changed music forever during the Seventies.
We kick off with their first album ‘Monster Movie’, heavily influenced by The Grateful Dead, Hendrix and that West Coast of the US psychedelic rock. This record includes some pretty amazing beats and playing from the guys.

Dominic Valvona.

I get around to covering world music about as often as I’ve covered 4H Club livestock auctions.  Alright, not even that much — there’s a significant library of local newspaper photography of the latter shuttered by yours truly that will someday come to light.

There are legit reasons for this, the most important being my utter lack of expertise in this area.  I’ve just never bothered.  Sometimes I’ve seen stuff that’s blown me away — old ska bands, a local Boston griot named Bala Tounkara from Mali, the Afro-Brazillian drum corps called Bloco — alas, I’ve for some reason felt more comfortable digging deeper into fads pioneered and championed by middle class kids from the suburbs.  Am I lame?  Yes.

On top of that, it’s marketed in a completely different way.  When you have someone socially trained to respond to stuff that comes out of bedrooms and gutters and garages and streets (like myself and, I assume, anyone else who spends their time looking for music on the internet long enough to build up deep layers of both rational and irrational filters), it’s hard to go for music that’s so blatantly associated with practice spaces at Berklee and performances at lunch time in public parks and press photos of groups that look ready for an appearance on Mr. Rogers Neighborhood.  Luckily, a lot of people aren’t this obsessed with all the meta- crap revolving around bands and have the gumption to just focus on the music, which in Zili’s case, is awesome.

I’ve been watching Zili from afar for a few years after having an bonkers fan of theirs for an intern one semester and finally found a chance to write about them this fall.  Catch this band when they’re on fire — in front of a captive audience, with plenty of volume to support them — and you’ll be blown away.  I spent a day following them from gig to gig through Boston and I found myself thinking that if this is what covering world music is like, I need to change beats like now.

Washington began her career after jumping ship from a Wellesley biology program in the ’90s and diving headlong into drumming, learning on Haitian rada drums and joining up with a booming scene of local Haitian bands like Batwel Rada and Tjovi Ginen. “We played at the Middle East a lot. We practiced at an old warehouse rehearsal space for poor artists at Fenway that got replaced by expensive new buildings. Those were good times, but it was always, ‘You’re pretty good for a girl.’ I finally decided I wanted a world-music band that was full of people with fierce skills who happened to be women.”

Link to full article at the Boston Phoenix here.

DJ Selecta Mano
Angolan Vibe | Afro Beat

Οι Ocote Soul Sounds αποτελούνται από τους Adrian Quesada και Martin Perna, ιδρυτικά μέλη των Grupo Fantasma και Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra. Το The Alchemist Manifesto είναι το πρώτο τους album, που κυκλοφόρησε το 2008 από την ESL των Thievery Corporation. Το στοιχείο που χαρακτηρίζει το group είναι ένα mish-mash από afrobeat, hip hop, latin και lounge. Ένας αρκετά καλός δίσκος, ταξιδιάρικος και κινηματογραφικός. 3,5/5!

ocotesoul.com

myspace.com/ocotesoulsounds

Rita Indiana y Los Misterios are a breath of fresh air in this current pollution of Indie music. Don’t get me wrong, I like a lot of the Indie music that’s being produced in Latin-America. My only beef is that a lot of those Indie acts make music with a gaze to The United States and Europe. There’s nothing wrong with that per say, but with such rich music traditions in Latin-America you’d think we’d get more Indie music with Latin-American roots. Instead we get a bunch of young artists that are looking more out than in to inspire their own music and fashion.

Rita Indiana y Los Misterios

Rita Indiana y Los Misterios – Jardinera (MP3)

Rita Indiana y Los Misterios – Jardinera (Youtube)

Studio – Yearbook 1 [Information, 2007]

Never put stock in MySpace genre tags, but the page for Sweden’s Studio says “Experimental/Afro-beat/Pop” and that’s a decent start. It’s vague enough for almost anything to happen, but with one specific reference point that pushes expectations in an interesting direction. The band consists of just two people, Dan Lissvik and Rasmus Hägg, though they do a nice job of sounding much bigger.
A lot happens in 70 minutes, as Studio basically functions in two modes. Much of the time they work in long form, winding melodic guitar lines around a core of clean, hypnotic rhythm. During these tracks they explore the trance-inducing repetition of Manuel Göttsching and gossamer lyricism of Durutti Column, and underpin the development with rhythms that allude to Can or the exotic tinge of Bill Laswell’s Sacred System. Hard to say exactly how serious the “Afro-beat” mention on the MySpace page is, but it’s not hard to hear the folding-in-on-itself quality of King Sunny Ade’s guitar in something like the 13-minute “Life’s a Beach!”. There’s even a hint of Nordic space disco in the reserved, easy funkiness of the gently modulating instrumental “Radio Edit”.

As an album, it’s long and all over the place, but somehow tight and disciplined; it feels like one unit working through various ideas and finding new ways for them to hang together. Subtle humor, both in the music and presentation, also helps keep the record afloat. All titles are in English but they’re delivered with a playful twist. “West Side” alludes to Studio’s hometown of Gothenburg, located on Sweden’s left shore. “Life’s a Beach!” is hopelessly goofy, but the music behind it is astonishing.

Continue rerading @ pitchfork

http://www.mediafire.com/?oqmm5mnyq0l

There’s nothing worse than stopping by your favorite blog and seeing that it’s been snatched up off of the net. No goodbye, no nothing - perhaps one lonely post made months ago [maybe even last year! the agony!]. I won’t do that to you anymore. Yes, great music still exists. Great, undiscovered, rare, forgotten-about, barely-listened-to, played-too-often music is still around – I just haven’t had the time to share the treasure chest until now. Better late than never, yes?

Today I went over to look at one my favorite places to get enlightened, only to discover that Captain’s Crate is no more! This is more disappointing that the complete disappearance of Post-Punk Junk [which actually got turned into a cable access-style show which you can WATCH instead of read]! Not to be totally discouraged, I scrolled down to revel in the last remnants of jam and found some gems.

Manzara – Makonde

Soseme Makonde – Makonde

The Makonde people are a Bantu-speaking culture of master carvers and sculptors throughout East Africa usually from Tanzania and Mozambique.   and I’d recommend looking for some images of their art [like this one or this one], but today I am talking about the band Makonde.

I have to begin by admitting how jealous I am of Captain Planet over at C.C. for being able to handle the BLUE vinyl in his own bare hands. Sure, I’m months and months late with my envy but so are you, probably, so we’re even.

These two tracks were surprisingly refreshing for me. I love afro-funk/afro-soul/afro-rock/afro-beat, etc.  as much as the next guy. Finding cool albums at the record store is always exciting no matter how many times I see phrases like  “15 previously unreleased tracks” or the most pretentious [and best, mind you] one I’ve heard yet “quarried from across the continent.”  But, admittedly, most of the time on those albums there are only two or three standout tracks. The rest are muddled imitations of shuffled around reruns. In short: boring.

The first song starts with a warbling bass and few quick taps on the drum before revealing its brassy, untampered-with horns. A fuzzier taming-the-viper horn snakes in and then the loose vocals come floating in over the crisp music. The contrast in layering the different tracks creates  such an open space around their voices that reminds of some post-punk vocal choices/trends. If the difference is too subtle to place concentrated emphasis on, then the next track displays the deliberate choice more clearly.

It sounds like Soseme Makonde begins with crusty-eyed, doughy-mouthed trolls grumbling after being woken up before moseying into a mid-paced groove. The vocals on this track are especially distinct with paper-thin echoes that don’t make it to the edge of the sound, but still register in the brain like a frame slipped into a film for subliminal effect.

On this track only, my mind goes to Joy Division – almost like this is the other-worldly intepretation of that haunting voice enchanting you from some unknown distance.

Enjoy.

.

Tribe X Entertainment and Dee ‘Jay ManixX
Present
Green October the Mix Tape Volume II

Harrison “Harry Baba” Nwozo Jr., CEO of Tribe X Entertainment, once again teams up with Dee ‘Jay ManixX of the famous Coalition of Nigerian DJ’s, to produce Green October the Mix tape Volume II. They had much success with Volume I, (over 4,500 downloads in just the first three months). For Volume II they compiled a comprehensive selection of some of the best, chart topping, Nigerian afro beat, afro hip hop, gospel, and dancehall music. The music comes from Nigerian artists based around the world. The simple goal is to share this phenomenal and exhilarating music with the world while at the same time presenting a more positive image of great creativity and talent of the Nigerian peoples.

Download Green October Volume II for FREE right Now:

http://rapidshare.com/files/274124949/GreenOctoberVol2.mp3
(Click “free user”, download takes about 3 minutes, please be patient)

Please also join our new Fan Page on facebook “Harry Baba Presents Green October” for constant updates, music videos, discussions, links, photos, and the full definition of the term “Green October.” In addition, the fan page will also feature and introduce a new fashion line aptly called “Green October by Legend Couture. Harry Baba is teaming up with Ikenna Nwakanma , CEO of Legend Couture on this project. A percentage of the proceeds of the Green October by Legend Couture fashion line will go towards the African Woman’s Cancer Awareness Association.

Please join our Fan Page today:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harry-Baba-presents-Green-October/127091996847

Harrison “Harry Baba” Nwozo Jr.
Tribe X Entertainment
Tribex2000@yahoo.com

DJ Manixx
The Coalition of Nigerian DJ’s
Book DJ Manixx for your next event/party! 240-463-9195
dj_manixx@msn.com

Download or Listen to Michael Leonhart & The Asvamina 7 – Scopolamine from the Truth and Soul Records 45

Here’s a quick one for Monday from our friends over at Truth and Soul Records:

“Truth & Soul is proud to present the first single from Michael Leonhart & The Avramina 7. Long time trumpet player for many of the T&S releases, Michael Leonhart has masterfully created something that sounds like the musical love child of R.D Burman, Fela Kuti, & Beck. A mix of reverb drenched vocals, afro beat horns, and fluttering tablas all work in perfect harmony on The Avramina 7’s first single on Truth & Soul.

A Little bit about Michael Leonhart & The Asvamina 7: ” As a solo artist Michael has released six albums — “Aardvark Poses” (1995), “Glub Glub vol. 11″ (1997), and “Slow” (2002) all on the Sunnyside label; “The Suzy Lattimore EP” (2005) & “The Ballad of Minton Quigley “(2006) self released and 2008’s “Hotel Music” on limited edition vinyl with hand painted covers released through St. Ives (an imprint of Secretly Canadian). He has composed and performed music for movies, television, dance, fashion shows and theater, and has appeared on over 100 albums. At age 17, Michael was honored as the youngest Grammy recipient in history, cited as the most outstanding musician in a U.S. high school. That same year ABC World News named him “Person of the Week”.

Michael has performed with Steely Dan since 1996, recording two albums with them, including 2000’s Grammy winning Album of the Year “Two Against Nature” on which he was a featured soloist, arranger and conductor. He has performed and/or recorded with such diverse artists as A Tribe Called Quest, Arif Mardin, Arto Linsday, Bill Frisell, Bobby McFerrin, Bonnie Raitt, Brian Eno, Busta Rhymes, Caetano Veloso, D.J. Spooky, David Byrne, Henry Mancini, James Brown, John Barry, Joshua Redman, Lenny Kravitz, Mark Ronson, Michael McDonald, Mos Def, Natalie Merchant, Q-Tip, Raekwon (Wutang Clan), Slash (Guns and Roses/ Velvet Revolver), Steven Tyler (Aerosmith), Todd Rundgren, and Wynton Marsalis. Most recently, Michael recorded with Yoko Ono as a featured member of the Plastic Ono Band for her upcoming album, “Between My Head and the Sky”. Michael also appears on upcoming albums by Sharon Jones and the Dapkings, Foreigner, Sean Lennon, and Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto).

After 20 plus recordings as the house trumpet player for Truth and Soul records, the Brooklyn based funk and soul label will release Leonhart’s heavy-funk concept album “Seahorse and the Storyteller” late this year.”

This record is a scorcher people. If you like the Afro-Beat groove, some wicked horns, and an all around burner, than this is the record for you. Following in the steps of Fela and combining some great harmonies throughout, you can hear why this guy has been a success since he was seventeen years old. An in demand guy by many different, diverse, bands, you get the reasons he and the people around him shine on this release. I’ll be back mid week with some more goods. Keep Diggin’!

Here’s some photos from the Barefoot Wine Surfrider Beach Rescue Gig:

View From My Decks

Rick and the DJ

Schoolin’ em!

The youngest member of the Kuti family will be at CCB next saturday for a almost free concert (5 €).

Seun Kuti & Egypt ‘80 bring us the incarnation of afro beat.

dance the hell out of you.

A psychedelic Afro-Soul explosion in 12 parts, The Hot Grits cover the stylistic ground between deep Funk, Soul and Afrobeat. From Meters-style struts superfast deep funk assaults to churning Afrobeat Soul. When THG hit their stride, no-one in the room is immune from the power and sheer soulfulness of their groove, and band and audience become one in a giant, convulsing testament to the power of good music. This music is designed to hit you in your soul, your face and your dancing equipment.

http://www.myspace.com/thehotgrits
http://www.monkeyrecords.com/

My Rites

Zimbabwe musical ambassadors Bongo Love play tonight @ Boundary Bay Brewery with the most excellent Portland, OR world twang outfit TapWater!  Doors are @ 9pm, tickets are $6.

Here is a recent CNN feature on Bongo Love’s current American tour:

Head over to Amazon.com and check out Suzanna Lubrano’s Music Store!! Watch her music video for “Festa Mascarado”! While you’re there pre-order Suzanna Lubrano’s album “Festa Mascarado”, available August 11, 2009!

Lisa Lisa’s new album, “Life ‘N Love” is AVAILABLE NOW! Check out Lisa Lisa’s Amazon Music Store to hear the songs from “Life ‘N Love”, purchase MP3’s, watch some awesome music videos & more!

Rich Medina and Bobbito Garcia are successful DJs because they’re brave DJs. In a career where you’re constantly faced with having to please a crowd, both Rich and Bobbito dare to step out of the mainstream to introduce only the freshest music to their listeners. They have so much confidence in the music they love, that they aren’t afraid to challenge the expectations of club crowds.

Rich Medina and Bobbito Present: The Connection Vol.1

Soul Jazz Orchestra-Mugambi (MP3)

Si Para Usted Vol.2

Vehicle-Orquesta Cubana De Música Moderna (MP3)

[By Jamie Halliday]

Artist: Akron / Family

Album: Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free

Label: Crammed Discs

It’s nice when this happens. Having risen fast to the absolute top of my profession, it can be easy to become jaded and tired; my worn, greying eyes seeing nothing but bottom lines and tax deductions – but sometimes this happens, sometimes something truly inspiring and exciting falls onto our desks and rocks our worlds*. In this instance it happened with a Crammed Discs release (coming through our friends in Proper Note) by the name of SET ‘EM WILD, SET ‘EM FREE. The offending artist? AKRON/FAMILY.

Akron/Family - Set 'Em Wild, Set 'Em Free

Now it seems everyone on the internet has long since discovered and loved Akron/Family but never bothered to tell me (and what exactly am I paying all these taxes for?) – so as irritatingly late and excitable as that guy who always hears ‘hilarious’ novelty songs a bit too late and still wants to sing them to you (they all congregate in Croydon), I discover the latest release from this wonder band.

BANG! Kicking off with some pulsating Afro-Beat rhythms that the Kuti clan could be smug about before injecting some Sabbath sized chords that Tony Iommi could be equally chuffed about comes Everyone is Guilty as good an opener as modern music will allow. Despite the tinkles of folkish string plucking and the occasional power-chord sneak through the mix there’s no real reason suspect that the album could turn out to be such a genre-hopping, life affirming, convention defying, neighbour bothering classic – but that’s what it is (or will turn out to be when we’re all living in orange bubbles on the moon). The album is bloated with creativity; a gasp of folk; a rumble of afro-beat; a wheeze of gloss-pop and a nasty belch of thrashing industrial metal (on the office shattering MBF).

Is it a rock record? Is it a pop record? Is a folk record? No. Is it an experimental record? Not really. Is it a record? Yes. The awkward tag of ‘alternative’ for once makes a lot of sense, Akron/Family offer an alternative to genre without ever appearing strained – can it even be considered experimental if it sounds so organic and comes so naturally? I don’t pretend to know, I also don’t pretend that Akron/Family are really, really good – because they factually are awesome.

If you like melody, if you like harmony; and if you like to rock, dance, weep (chicks only) and love, then this is an album that could see you into your twilight years. It’s as original and inventive as any album I’ve come across in my stellar career within ‘the industry’.

Although the album is slightly reminiscent of pleasing pop/rock rebels Modest Mouse, ‘pre-grunge’ survivalists The Pixies, African superstar Seun Kuti and Brit-folk revivalists The Fleet Foxes and Great Lake Swimmers – I recommend this album to most people. Fans of pleasure? Fans of life? Fans of stuff. This is the album for you.

*Full disclosure. I have loved, cherished and celebrated every record to ever surface under the banner of Proper Music Distribution and am financially and artistically satisfied in my lowly position of Product Assistant. I was merely being hilariously funny.

Click here to get back to the main page

Casiokids são um quinteto Norueguês (Bergen), produzem eletro afro-beat e o resultado é notável. Boas melodias, boas distorções e é dançável. Toca a fazer o download!

From the Getty website:

Saturday, July 11, 2009 | 6:00–9:00 p.m.

Mas Exitos, the legendary twice-a-month event held at the Verdugo Bar in Highland Park, comes to the Getty! The DJ collective—featuring Lengua, Hoseh, Ganas, and Enorbito—unfold their international music selections and transform the Museum Courtyard into a hot spot south of the border.

It’s an audio carpet ride from the Andes of Peru to the streets of Mexico City to the East Side of L.A.—cumbias, low-rider music, Afro beat, tropicalia, funky jazz oddities, y más. DJ Lengua will handle the laptop while the rest of the crew take over the turntables.

Dan Collins for LA Records.com interviewed the talented DJs at Club Verdugo in Los Angeles. 

 For more information on the Summer FREE outdoor concerts at The Getty, go to http://www.getty.edu/visit/events/saturdays_405.html

Brevemente, vai estar para Download, o meu primeiro Álbum!

Tou a fazer as cenas com calma, sem pressas, pois não tenho pressão de nada nem de ninguém que me faça envolver em stress’s.

A cena vai sair muito eclética, muito variada, do Hardcore ao Afro-Beat, passando pelo Reggae, Metal… Sei lá! Whatever mesmo!  Tou a tentar participações, mas isso é um ponto que não posso prometer.

Tou a dar a dica em primeira mão mas apartir de agora vou começar a actualizar o MySpace do Projecto:

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/junglehousezer0

Quando a coisa tiver realmente cá fora, eu volto a dar a dica!

Paz! |/

Lundi 3 août au Cabaret Sauvage : George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic + Anthony Joseph and The Spasm Band

Musicien et chanteur américain, George Clinton est avec James Brown et Sly Stone l’un des pères fondateurs de la musique funk. Véritable artiste psychédélique et déjanté, c’est une figure mythique de la funk des années 70 et une référence musicale pour beaucoup d’artistes d’aujourd’hui.

Anthony Joseph invoque les esprits du funk et de la soul en une spectaculaire odyssée à travers toute la Black Music. Poète et romancier, ce natif de Trinidad qui scande et déclame ses propres textes avec une verve inspirée, sur fond de dub vaudou et d’afro-beat éraillé.

http://www.myspace.com/gclinton
http://www.myspace.com/adjoseph

Ouverture des portes à 19h. Tarifs: prévente 38€ hors frais / sur place : 42 €

Cabaret Sauvage

Parc de la Villette – Accès piéton par le 59 bd MacDonald – 75019 Paris, métro porte de Pantin ou corentin cariou

locations : www.fnac.com