congotronics - so what's the attraction?

paladisiac · **Posted:** Sun Feb 12, 2006 4:39 pm

on song 4 of kokono no 1 & can't see the attraction. sounds like a cross between nomad & the blue man group. #1 of 2005? huh?

Evil Dr. K · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 11:51 am **Posts:** 6327

I've only heard one track ('Lufuala Ndonga' which was on a comp) but I thought it was pretty awesome and I'll pick the album up whenever I have some spare cash.

You're probably just not 'jungle' enough, safari suited white man.

hey look · **Posted:** Sun Feb 12, 2006 6:07 pm

i drift in and out of love with the albums.

jsh · **Posted:** Sun Feb 12, 2006 6:11 pm

This music was immediately appealing to me, and is truly some of the most amazing sound I've heard in my life. The context is important, but not the be-all. The minimalism and layering of the composition, the timbre of the instruments, the flailing ebullience of its mood: these all combine to make the Konono piece and Congotronics 2 two of the most incredible recordings I know.

paper · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2006 11:05 am

I Got Ish Wrote:

This music was immediately appealing to me.

paladisiac · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2006 2:57 pm

i might give it another listen, but this'll probably be my first album delete in about a year. if i go jungle, i'd rather spin "tarzan's boy"

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

I've never heard either album. I can't point my finger on why, but I've been under the impression that they are world music for people who really aren't that big fans of world music. But you not liking it is probably a sign that I might.

jsh · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:15 pm

billy g Wrote:

I've never heard either album. I can't point my finger on why, but I've been under the impression that they are world music for people who really aren't that big fans of world music.

Huh? It's just awesome. I think you'd like it.

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

I Got Ish Wrote:

billy g Wrote:

I've never heard either album. I can't point my finger on why, but I've been under the impression that they are world music for people who really aren't that big fans of world music.

Huh? It's just awesome. I think you'd like it.

I might. I've heard that said by more than one person though and it would seem to match how its marketed more to the indie crowd than to the world music crowd

paladisiac · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:52 pm

billy g Wrote:

But you not liking it is probably a sign that I might.

i bet a bunch of people here feel that way. i provide some sort of anti-service. when i really dislike something i should post it here -- i could find y'all a gold mine!

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2006 3:59 pm

billy g Wrote:

I Got Ish Wrote:

billy g Wrote:

I've never heard either album. I can't point my finger on why, but I've been under the impression that they are world music for people who really aren't that big fans of world music.

Huh? It's just awesome. I think you'd like it.

I might. I've heard that said by more than one person though and it would seem to match how its marketed more to the indie crowd than to the world music crowd

You may be right about it, but I think it might be worth checking out for you, anyway.

I've never taken the time to explore African music outside of this and a few Fela albums, but I certainly doubt that Congotronics would be considered "substandard" by world music afficionados. Of course, I really have no idea about that, but for what it is - raw energy & focused, entrancing repitition - I think it does a damn fine job.

I think the noise/distortion aspects of it along with current trends in indie music towards more percussive/less melodic (I'm thinking Black Dice, Boredoms, Gang Gang Dance, Sightings, etc.) stuff have a lot to do with why it's been "marketed to the indie crowd", but I don't see why that would give world music people a reason to ignore it. I'd be interested in what you'd think of it at any rate, and I'd suggest hearing Congotronics 2 (the comp) before the Konono album.

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

Drinky Wrote:

I think the noise/distortion aspects of it along with current trends in indie music towards more percussive/less melodic (I'm thinking Black Dice, Boredoms, Gang Gang Dance, Sightings, etc.) stuff have a lot to do with why it's been "marketed to the indie crowd", but I don't see why that would give world music people a reason to ignore it. I'd be interested in what you'd think of it at any rate, and I'd suggest hearing Congotronics 2 (the comp) before the Konono album.

You're kind of getting at what my impression was. That it had more in common with stuff like Black Dice than it does with typical afro pop. That doesn't mean a world music fan wouldn't like it just that he/she might not be all that much more likely to like it or dislike than they are to like/dislike Black Dice.

That was more what I took "world music for non-world music fans" to mean, not that its substandard but just very different. But like I said, I haven't heard it so this is all just second hand. I was throwing that out there wondering if people would agree. I'm not uninterested in it, it just hasn't been a priority for me to check out based on the mixed reactions I've seen.

And paladisiac, I wasn't knocking your taste. I've just noticed its very different from my own based on the emusic thread.

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2006 4:21 pm

billy g Wrote:

You're kind of getting at what my impression was. That it had more in common with stuff like Black Dice than it does with typical afro pop. That doesn't mean a world music fan wouldn't like it just that he/she might not be all that much more likely to like it or dislike than they are to like/dislike Black Dice.

That was more what I took "world music for non-world music fans" to mean, not that its substandard but just very different. But like I said, I haven't heard it so this is all just second hand. I was throwing that out there wondering if people would agree. I'm not uninterested in it, it just hasn't been a priority for me to check out based on the mixed reactions I've seen.

And paladisiac, I wasn't knocking your taste. I've just noticed its very different from my own based on the emusic thread.

All that aside, it is based on traditional African trance music, and the connections/similarities to current indie music are purely incidental. It's all the work of people promoting and marketing the music and has nothing to do with the people who made it. Also, they really don't sound anything like Black Dice so don't let that deter you.

I know you've expressed some opposition to downloading (for yourself, not directed toward others), but I would gladly YSI you Congotronics 2, or just a few select tracks from that or Konono No.1 if you want.

discostu · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2006 5:04 pm

Drinky Wrote:

I would gladly YSI you Congotronics 2

PMYSIPLSTHX

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Mon Feb 13, 2006 5:08 pm

discostu Wrote:

Drinky Wrote:

I would gladly YSI you Congotronics 2

PMYSIPLSTHX

I'll start uploading when I get home.

billy g · **Joined:** Mon Oct 25, 2004 1:41 pm **Posts:** 9020

Drinky Wrote:

discostu Wrote:

Drinky Wrote:

I would gladly YSI you Congotronics 2

PMYSIPLSTHX

I'll start uploading when I get home.

thanks pm me too

catswilleatyou · **Posted:** Fri Feb 17, 2006 12:58 pm

this album sounds like
donkey kong smoking a marijuana cigarette

he should give me that
because i can't get into his groove

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:05 pm

"High School Poet"

jsh · **Posted:** Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:17 pm

discostu · **Posted:** Fri Feb 17, 2006 2:35 pm

Watched a doc on Sundance Channel about Mbutu, Zaire's dicatator for over 30 years. Fairly interesting. Heard some of this type of music in one of the scenes that was filmed a local dance in Kinshasa the 1960s.

discostu · **Posted:** Tue Sep 21, 2010 2:26 pm

Congotronics goes indie

Quote:

On the double-CD compilation Tradi-Mods Vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes on Congotronics, out November 9 on Crammed, a number of those artists mess around with the music that's come out through the Congotronics series. It features covers, homages, and remixes from the likes of Animal Collective, Andrew Bird, Deerhoof, Micachu & the Shapes, Optimo, Oneida, Megafaun, Wilco's Glenn Kotche, Shackleton, and many more. Below, we've got the compilation's tracklist.

Tradi-Mods Vs. Rockers: Alternative Takes on Congotronics:

CD1:

01 Deerhoof vs. Kasai Allstars: "Travels Broaden the Mind"
02 Animal Collective vs. Kasai Allstars: "Quick as White"
03 Andrew Bird vs. Konono N°1 & Sobanza Mimanisa: "Ohnono/Kiwembo"
04 Tussle vs. Konono N°1: "Soft Crush"
05 Glenn Kotche vs. Konono N°1: "Traducteur de Transmission"
06 Lonely Drifter Karen vs. Kasai Allstars: "Hunting on the Moon"
07 Jherek Bischoff vs. Konono N°1: "Kule Kule (Orchestral Version)"
08 Woom vs. Kasai Allstars: "Enter the Chief"
09 Juana Molina vs. Kasai Allstars: "Hoy Aupe Que Viajas"
10 Mark Ernestus vs. Konono N°1: "Masikulu Dub"
11 Skeletons vs. Sobansa Mimanisa: "Kiwembo/Unstuck"
12 Jolie Holland & Joel Hamilton vs. Kasai Allstars: "Nyeka Nyeka"
13 Aksak Maboul vs. Kasai Allstars: "Land Dispute"

CD2:

01 Shackleton vs. Kasai Allstars: "Mukuba Special"
02 Hoquets vs. Konono N°1: "Likembes"
03 Micachu & the Shapes vs. Konono N°1: "NO.K"
04 Megafaun vs. Kisanzi Kongo: "Conjugal Mirage"
05 AU vs. Masanka Sankayi: "Two Labors"
06 Allá vs. Basokin: "Mulu(me)"
07 Bear Bones, Lay Low vs. Konono N°1: "Kuletronics"
08 Burnt Friedman vs. Konono N°1: "Rubaczech"
09 Oneida vs. Konono N°1: "Nombre 1!"
10 Optimo vs. Konono N°1: "Wumbanzanga"
11 Bass Clef vs. Kasai Allstars: "The Incident At Mbuji-Mayi"
12 Eye vs. Konono N°1: "Konono Wa Wa Wa"
13 Sylvain Chauveau vs. Konono N°1: "Makembe"

Posted by Tom Breihan on September 21, 2010 at 10:45 a.m.

Dick Meatwood · **Posted:** Tue Sep 21, 2010 2:28 pm

Be interested in hearing some of that. Deerhoof and Oneida, mainly. Eye and Glenn Kotche, too.

bort · **Posted:** Tue Sep 21, 2010 7:56 pm

Drinky Wrote:

Be interested in hearing some of that.

Flying Rabbit · **Posted:** Wed Sep 22, 2010 9:24 am

Just coming to post about that comp. Really want to hear some of these tracks.

k · **Posted:** Fri Feb 25, 2011 2:37 pm

I somehow completely missed this last year I guess.

My wife brought these home last night and I am really digging them. A lot of stuff here that has surprised me. Immediate surprise goes to the Andrew Bird track. Normally that dude bores me out of my mind, but I love his take on this. The Deerhoof track absolutely floored me as well on first listen. Nice little collection

congotronics - so what's the attraction?

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