Various Artists
"Afro Exotique 2 - Further Adventures In The Leftfield, Africa 1975-87"
After volume one was so enthusiastically embraced we dived back down into the vaults for another esoteric adventure.
After "Afro Exotique - Adventures In The Leftfield, Africa 1972-88" was enthusiastically embraced by heads, collectors and core Africa Seven enthusiasts alike, we dived back down into the vaults, and hope we've come up with another volume of listenable esoterica from roughly the same period.
"The Quest", courtesy of fleeting 1978 leftfield supergroup Afro Cult Foundation (featuring Joni Haastrup, Remi Kabaka and friends) sets the tone-bar high and sideways, with 4.50 mins of atmospheric, effected solo piano drift to get things started.
Congolese ensemble band "Orchestre Lipua Lipua" introduces gently lilting Soukous with 1977's, "Distingue", before BG and Fibre's "Thanks and Praises" introduces some wobbly, Moog tinged Lagos reggae shuffle to proceedings.
Akwassa's 1974 funker "I Don't Want Nobody" peels off into a Hammond / wah wah / moog mini odyssey half way through, before Tongolese chanteuse Akofa Akoussah's stirring "Ramer San Rame" introduces emotional charge into proceedings.
Francis Bebey's "La Condition Masculine" (1976) is a centre piece of the album, with it's skippy drum machine rhythm and spoken world vocal, but we'll admit, we probably wouldn't have used it if we'd read a translation of that vocal first.
Benis Cletin's "Jungle Magic" (1979) acid funk intro then gives way to a blatant, and at times slightly unhinged homage to the all conquering (at the time) "I Feel Love", Sorry Bamba's "M'Bife Je T'Aime" keeps the leftfield funk groove rolling, before the mournful, immersive croon of Gregoire Lawani's "Elle M'a Mordu La Langue" brings proceedings to a reflective close.
01. Written by Remi Kabaka.
02. Written by Mbudi Malanda.
03. Written by Boye Gbenro & Toks Shotade.
04. Written by Akwassa.
05. Written by Joe Kemfa.
06. Written by Akofa Akoussah.
07. Written by Francis Bebey.
08. Written by Benis Cletin.
09. Written by Sorry Bamba.
10. Written by Grégoire Lawani.
Audio Restoration by Timmy @ Tiger Bright Studios (www.tigerbright.net)
Mastered by Eugene @ Cromon Tor.
Artwork by Rich Elson.
(P) 2023 Africa Seven
| 1. | Afrocult Foundation - The Quest [Version Piano Solo] | Buy Track ( 0.94) | ||
| 2. | Orchestre Lipua-Lipua - Distingue [Edit] | Buy Track ( 0.94) | ||
| 3. | B.G. And Fibre - (G#) Thanks And Praises | Buy Track ( 0.94) | ||
| 4. | Akwassa - I Don't Want No-Body (To Tell Me) | Buy Track ( 0.94) | ||
| 5. | Aura - I Got To Make It | Buy Track ( 0.94) | ||
| 6. | Akofa Akoussah - Ramer Sans Rame | Buy Track ( 0.94) | ||
| 7. | Francis Bebey - La Condition Masculine | Buy Track ( 0.94) | ||
| 8. | Benis Cletin - Jungle Magic | Buy Track ( 0.94) | ||
| 9. | Sorry Bamba - M'Bife Je T'Aime | Buy Track ( 0.94) | ||
| 10. | Gregoire Lawani - Elle M'a Mordu La Langue | Buy Track ( 0.94) | ||
| Buy All Tracks ( 7.05) |
