Crammed (label)
17 February 2014 (released)
15 February 2014
An awesome mix. Brussels based and featuring three Colombians, two Belgians, one Frenchman and a Vietnamese and playing music based on Colombian rhythms with added funk, rock and Afrobeat – what’s not to love?
The music is explosive, mixing all those forms into something that is more than any one of them and bringing a twitch into the most corpse-like of listeners. They build up layers of sound that take the heart and the mind in all sorts of directions, exploding chants and beats linked by fluid and sinuous bass-lines and blasting horns.
The influences are there to hear – Colombian forms such as champeta or chirimia, elements of Fela in the political stance and Irakere in the congo rhythms as well as the power of Rage Against The Machine and the hard funk of James Brown – they meld into something unique and take the best from them all.
Dance music on uppers and almost punk in attitude but when they cool it down it still has an uplifting quality that carries you with it. It is irresistible and shocking in turns but there is a touch of humour running all through it as well.
One warning – do not play this as background: it needs to be played loud, proud and clear to let the passions and the heart take your soul.
