Konono Nᵒ 1 meets Batida

"[Konono and Batida] sweep us up on an ecstatically rough ride to the far horizon, where rhythmic trance meets kuduro-rinsed electronica ... Batida has been absorbed into [Konono's] funky trance template and he adds to the minimalist tension, so you hear all the micro-rhythmic changes even more clearly. There's Portuguese rapping and a variety of sampled textures that he brings into the mix too. It's all grist to Konono's ever-turning mill. This album is a sonic continuum to get lost in, and it's already approaching the summit of my albums of the year list".

"Ever since the 2004 release of Konono's debut studio album, Congotronics, the collective has earned widespread admiration from alternative, experimental, and electronic music communities due to their D.I.Y. sound incorporating self-made amplification techniques and instruments built from salvaged junkyard parts. Based in Lisbon, Portugal, dance producer Batida (Pedro Coquenão) originally hails from Angola, adjacent to Konono's home country, and his tracks heavily sample the region's music. The collaborative album seems like a logical evolution of Konono's traditional yet technology-savvy sound, sounding perfectly in line with their own discography as well as with the Lisbon dance underground ... Konono No. 1 Meets Batida is a resoundingly successful collaboration, and any cut from it would sound absolutely killer on a dancefloor".

Læs anmeldelse

"Konono No. 1 has taken their music from its ancestral origins in the Congo to international recognition and success. Their unique variety of creativity has been influential not only in their homeland, but has been sampled and remixed by a host of electronic gearheads and DJ's who found inspiration in the unique timbres of electric likembés. This collaboration with Batida is another affirmation that they will continue to be currently relevant, while maintaining a faithful connection with their native roots".

Læs anmeldelse