Afro Tech

COLL: Afro-Tech Label: Quango (World/BPM)
Rating (scale of 1-10, 10 being best): 8.5

This is a really nice collection of African-influenced electronic dance music. It features some really respected dance music producers (Joe Clausell, F. Galliano, Osunlade, D. Ferrer) who blend African rhythms with dance music in an interesting & compelling way that stays true to the “African spirit”, not just slapping some generic beats & samples together. Some are straight up club tracks, others are VERY soulful & funky. Try: 2,3,4,5,6,8,9.

1. Deep house with some real nice & melodic African chants (fem. vocals)
2. Jazzy deep house, sax, congas, chill vibe, smooth vocals (don’t know what language, but it’s nice) – very straight-up house & not really African except for vocals
3. Loose percussion and mellow chants, with wacky electronic warbling effects – I like it
4. Folky with loose percussion, funky laid-back groove, earthy male vocals – very nice
5. Deep house w/ congas and a screaming electric guitar jam – this is SO NYC Afro-Rican-style house that has been pioneered by Masters at Work & the Spiritual Life labels (Joe Claussell is the man behind Spiritual Life)
6. Dope! funky guitar licks, snappy beats, funky vocals in mixed English, getting’ down – real rootsy political words too – I love this song
7. An African chant looped over multi-layered congas and a house-y beat
8. Upliftin’ vocals – multiple African divas & a cheery piano loop – great synth jam
9. I love this song – a catchy female vocal & chorus laid to a funky two-steppy beat w/ some really nice lute-like instrumentation
10. Starts mellow & kind of space-y, then gets into some breakbeat w/ some trippy electronics