The chief eats the heads of his listeners by musical magic
doomsdayer520 | Pennsylvania | 09/18/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Kudos to the innovative Congotronics project for bringing forth the fascinating music found on this album (which is an early entry in what looks to be an ongoing series). Here we have a couple of dozen authentic musicians from the Congo, representing various ethnic groups and languages, collaborating on new sounds and aided by some cutting edge sonic production techniques. For most Western listeners, what comes to mind when hearing the term "African music" is the popular sounds of Ghana, Senegal, or Nigeria. But the music of the Congo has its own unique style, with a use of repetition and slowly developing grooves that create an absolutely mesmerizing effect. (Some Western listeners may find these lengthy workouts more tedious than mesmerizing, but the only song here that partially falls on the unhappy side of that line is "Mukuba.") Of special interest are "Quick as White," based on the uniquely haunting sound of heavily distorted finger pianos, the acapella "Tshitua Fuila Mbuloba," and the extended near-funk grooves of "Beyond the 7th Moon" and "Drowning Goat (Mbuji-Mayi)." The album's wild title only hints at the fascination and intrigue of the sounds herein. [~doomsdayer520~]"
Pure African Music.
SBLove99 | New Orleans, La. | 07/31/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is a great African musical experience for those who are open to and have been exposed to the beauty of untainted African music. I'm on my way to the Congo."