Following the acclaimed 2017 vinyl reissue of the Noir et Blanc album, Crammed Discs announces a special edition of the experimental electronic duo Zazou Bikaye’s second record, Mr. Manager.
Resulting from a torrid encounter between Congolese singer Bony Bikaye, Algerian-born French composer Hector Zazou and mad scientists CY1, Zazou Bikaye created a head-on collision between traditional Central African vocals and uncompromising analog electronics. The band made history with their debut, cult album Noir et Blanc (1983), a groundbreaking afro/electronic experiment which has been adulated to this day by generations and often compared to David Byrne & Brian Eno’s Bush Of Ghosts, or to an imaginary meeting between Fela Kuti and Kraftwerk.
With “Mr Manager”, their music became less overtly experimental and took on original shades of digital afrobeat/afrofunk. Mr Manager was a 5-track mini-album. Coming out on Oct 16, the expanded edition will comprise no less than 14 tracks, to which “Nostalgie” serves as a great introduction.
Mr. Manager was acclaimed when it came out on Crammed, and two of the tracks from the record (“Angel” and “Nostalgie”) became underground club hits in the US and Europe. As for the other rediscovered tracks, they were recorded at the same time in 1985 with additional sessions in 1986. It includes tracks like “Nakangi“, “Yondo” and “Sopa (Don’t Stand Back In Red)”. These songs are true revelations, as much thanks to Bikaye’s vocal performances as to Zazou’s programming & arrangements, inspired by the then-current electro-hip-hop fusion sound, yet highly original and unique.
Mr. Manager will be available on October 16th via Crammed Discs.
TRACKLIST
01. Mr. Manager
02. Nostalgie
03. Soki Akei
04. (Little) Angel
05. Signorina *
06. Angel
07. Viva La Musica **
08. Le Menteur (Mokosi) *
09. Sopa (Don’t Stand Back In Red) *
10. Nakangi *
11. Yondo *
12. Dubby Musica *
13. Get Back (Longwa) **
14. Get Back (instrumental) **
* Unreleased
** Released only on vinyl with limited edition
