The Konono No. 1 (Congotronics 1) has started giving worldwide exposure to the strange and spectacular electro-traditional mixtures which are being concocted in the suburbs of Kinshasa, Congo. World music, electronica and avant-rock aficionados have been equally amazed by this otherworldly music which has driven the international press to come up with extremely surprising comparisons (from Can and Krautrock to Jimi Hendrix, Lee Perry and proto-techno).
Hot on the footsteps of Congotronics 1, here comes a fresh selection of even more amazing sounds, courtesy of no less than seven electro-traditional bands from Kinshasa, all especially recorded and produced by Crammed's Vincent Kenis :
"This is one of the wildest records of the year [...] Forget all your preconceptions about African music — Congotronics 2 is a whole new strain of pop" (The Observer, UK)
"Every rock fan and musician should hear this album as a timely reminder of what their perpetually derivative genre used to be about. This is rock sucked back to the continent of its birth to be granted a glorious resurrection" (Word, UK)
These bands all draw on traditional trance music, to which they've incorporated heavily distorted sounds generated by DIY amplification of their instruments... just like Konono No. 1, except that, as musicians come from various geographical and cultural background, they use very diverse rhythms, timbres and instruments: the trademark electrified thumb pianos and megaphones are joined by an array of buzzing drums, swirling guitars and hypnotic balafons.
The subtitle of this album hints to the legendary Ali-Foreman boxing fight which took place in Kinshasa in 1974, and was nicknamed "Rumble In The Jungle." James Brown, BB King, Fania All Stars and Myriam Makeba performed there around that event, which had a deep impact on a whole generation of young Congolese musicians and fans.
