The Congolese band just announced their first album with a new single, “Buka Dansa”.
KOKOKO! is part of an effervescent new music scene of the country’s capital city where performers and artists decided to use their art as a form of protest in a more and more strained political context.
Armed with their handmade instruments, forming an unique DIY orchestra backed by Débruit instrumentals, KOKOKO! has been leading this wave for two years. Through a series of singles and EPs, they have dealt with a bunch of topics related to the emergency of the situation in their country, paving the way for the upcoming album.
Their own instruments as well as with the classic 808 drum machine, their distorted polyrhythms and spontaneous lo-fi sounds have forged their own genre, dubbed ‘tekno kintueni’ or “zagué” (‘kintueni’ is a Congolese rhythm/dance), embodied by their new single available, “Buka Dansa”.
“ “Buka Dansa” means ‘dance till it breaks’, or ‘break the dance’ and Dido sings
the song on a synthetic rhythm, where the riff from a self-made guitar moves
with the melodies. The lyrics are psychedelic, and remember what’s good in
life – putting that feeling parallel with a nice taste passing into your throat, like
smoke, a digestion of good moments.”
Fongola is a necessary debut album, a chaotic soundtrack to a troubled time and day.
Fongola out on July 5th on Transgressive Records. Pre-order it on their website.
Stream “Buka Dansa” in our Noir Wave playlist on Spotify and Deezer.
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