Various Artists / Tradi-Mods Vs Rockers - Alternative Takes On Congotronics
Album: Tradi-Mods Vs Rockers - Alternative Takes On Congotronics   Collection:General
Artist:Various Artists   Added:Dec 2010
Label:Crammed Discs  

A-File Activity
Add Date: 2011-01-02 Pull Date: 2011-03-06
Week Ending: Feb 20 Feb 6 Jan 23 Jan 16 Jan 9
Airplays: 2 2 1 5 3

Recent Airplay
1. Feb 19, 2011: New World Disorder
Masikulu Dub
4. Feb 04, 2011: microclimate
Masikulu Dub
2. Feb 16, 2011: Morning Glory (Full Moon Waxing)
Travel Broadens The Mind (Deerhoof vs. Kasai Allstars)
5. Jan 22, 2011: Music Casserole
Nyeka Nyeka
3. Feb 05, 2011: Music Casserole
Mukuba Special
6. Jan 14, 2011: microclimate
Kiwembo/Unstuck (Vocal Version)

Album Review
Your Imaginary Friend
Reviewed 2010-12-22
A few years back Konono No1 made “congotronics” a hipster household word. Basically this was a band from the heart of Africa that played a local if traditional rhythmic dance music, heavy on percussion and kalimba. Thing is they played it amplified at full volume, distorted, which intentionally or not made the stuff border on something Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) would do for fun. The effect was an instant hit to the ears of indie rocker and noise buffs alike. The following is congotronics as remixed by all your Indie Rock and weirdo faves (check the back of the case, e.g. deerhoof, animal collective, micachu, oneida...). Its bad fucking ass!!

CD1:
1) funky slightly disjunct rhythm, with subtle fem vocs
2) tribal, pretty airy guitar
3) pretty with strings, almost avante, with familiar melodies
4) a Talking Heads urgency and driving beat
5) bells and percussion, disjunct beat, gets kinda noisey then the kalimbas come ringing through strong
6) chill yet poppy with fem vocals
7) cinematic dramatic marching flare, brass
8) glitchy blippy mashup of vocals with subtle electronics, total “remix” feel
9) heavy on the congo part, with fem vocs en espanol, rhythmic and cool
10) super cool urgent congo with dubby echoey colorations, vocs, killer!
11) cool melodic, quintessential song, but bent folded and manipulated a bit
12) big dub echo treatments, driving and congo, quiet fade-out at end
13) a bit more chill, rhythmic

CD2:
1) callout vocs, treated, longer track, very tribal and percussive and hypnotic as hell
2) upbeat and poppy, dancey and fun, brief and radio-friendly
3) rhythmic and more experimental, collage-like
4) banjo rhythmic pop
5) pretty melodies, then a heavily layered driving pounding feel
6) complex and trippy and midway sounds like old Stereolab, huh?
7) cool if creepy noise to start, piece has a lo-fi cassette electronics tone about it
8) rhythmic and nice, very congo
9) noisey as hell, taking their broken amplifiers to the next level, at least at first
10) pretty guitars and percussion, nice bouncy
11) longer, good dancey, nice
12) cool distorto treated congo, solid beats, complex
13) bit of an out-tro, mellow piano, brief

Track Listing
 ArtistTrack Name
1. Kasai Allstars Travel Broadens The Mind
2. Kasai Allstars Quick As White
3. Sobanza Mimanisa Ohnono / Kiwembo
4. Konono N°1 Soft Crush
5. Konono N°1 Traducteur De Transmission
6. Kasai Allstars Hunting On The Moon
7. Konono N°1 Kule Kule
8. Kasai Allstars Enter The Chief
9. Kasai Allstars Hoy Supe Que Viajas
10. Konono N°1 Masikulu Dub
11. Sobanza Mimanisa Kiwembo / Unstuck
12. Kasai Allstars Nyeka Nyeka
13. Kasai Allstars Land Dispute
14. Kasai Allstars Masikulu Rhythm
15. Konono N°1 Kiwembo/Unstuck (Vocal Version)
16. Konono N°1 No.K
17. Kisanzi Kongo Conjugal Mirage
18. Masanka Sankayi Two Labors
19. Basokin Mulu(Me)
20. Konono N°1 Kuletronics
21. Konono N°1 Rubaczech
22. Konono N°1 Nombre 1!
23. Konono N°1 Wumbanzanga (Rework)
24. Kasai Allstars The Incident At Mbuji-Mayi
25. Konono N°1 Konono Wa Wa Wa (Rework)
26. Konono N°1 Makembe (Rework)