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LP
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AVM 079LP
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Negore is the second album by the Kenya-based duo Odd Odokko. After their debut Auma (PING 068LP) saw percussionist Sven Kacirek work with pre-existing recordings of singer and instrument builder Olith Ratego, the two opted for a similar approach for the ten pieces to preserve the expressiveness of the latter's performance. Further contributions by sound artist KMRU and Angel Bat Dawid on bass clarinet expand the duo's sonic palette which draws on the dodo music of the Luo people and enriches it with percussive, melodic, and occasionally electronic means. The record's title translates to "petroleum lamp," signifying the transition from day to night -- when the time has come to dance. In this decidedly joyful spirit, Negore is dedicated to transitions and venturing into the future. Ratego's interpretation of the folk tradition is expressly contemporary, while Kacirek uses a rich variety of avant-garde and advanced electronic music techniques to propel it even further. Preceded by their first tour since the world first came to a grinding halt in early 2020, Negore marks a new beginning, but remains faithful to the unconventional working process of the two and the continuously surprising results it yields. With the exception of the track "Ochuya," for which Kacirek wrote a sketch in advance for Ratego to work with, the entire album is based on recordings of the singer that were made in a Nairobi studio. Accompanied by the sound of his odokko, a lyre that Ratego built inspired on the Luo instrument nyatiti, his highly expressive -- boundlessly anthemic in one moment, introspective and almost mournful in the other -- vocal performance is subtly accentuated and complemented by Kacirek on marimba, vibraphone, prepared piano percussion, drums or even programmed rhythms. The songs on Negore were written in Ratego's native Luo language and deal with subjects such as love, destiny, and perseverance. It serves as an introduction to his world, faith, and life in a rural community near Lake Victoria. It's hyper-specific and universal at the same time, much like the music that forms its foundation.
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LP
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PING 068LP
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Odd Okoddo is a Kenyan/German duo consisting of Olith Ratego and Sven Kacirek. The two artists met in Kenya, around 2009, when Sven Kacirek was recording his Kenya Sessions (PING 020CD, 2011), an album that put Kacirek on the map of outernational producers. It was reviewed as a "World Music 2.0" (de:bug magazine), whose "fascination endures" (The Wire). Olith Ratego also made an appearance on the Kenya Sessions, on the track "Too Good To Be True". The duo formed the project Odd Okoddo in 2018, with the two musicians joining their various talents which dovetail in perfection. Ratego writes the lyrics and vocal melodies while Kacirek composes, records and produces the arrangements of all nine songs on Auma. They create a colorful, dynamic sound which is defined by both Ratego's enormous vocal compass and range of timbres as well as Kacirek's outstanding skills as a sensitive percussionist. Olith Ratego sings in a musical style called "dodo", which originates from the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya, high in pitch and soulfully expressive. He refers to his music as "dodo blues". His lyrics touch upon the topics of politics, family and of course: love. As a skilled luthier, Ratego builds his instruments himself, like the five-stringed Okodo which lends its name to the project. Sven Kacirek is a multi-instrumentalist who has been commuting between Germany and Kenya for many years now. In the past he has closely collaborated with various international musicians, among them Nils Frahm and Shabaka Hutchings. Kacirek's sound builds upon a powerful bass marimba which is present throughout the album. It sometimes invokes the sound of a tuned 808 kick-drum. He works with Kenyan an arsenal of percussion instruments as well as household objects and found materials. Kacirek has now settled into a signature sound which has been described as "thrilling and dizzyingly inventive" by the Australian magazine, Cyclic Defrost. LP comes with a printed inner sleeve with liner notes by Tabu Osusa from the Nairobi based label, Ketebul, as well as explanations about the song lyrics.
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7"
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PING 067EP
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Odd Okoddo is a Kenyan/German duo formed by Olith Ratego and Sven Kacirek. This vinyl single marks their first outing, announcing the album Auma which will be released in Autumn 2019. Ratego performs his immaculate vocals in the musical style called "dodo", which originates from the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya. Kacirek is a multi-instrumentalist commuting between Germany and Kenya for many years now. "Okitwoye" is one song from Odd Okoddo's first album Auma. It comes in a multi-layered, ambiguous rhythm between three and four. The remix by Peter Power (Voodoohop collective) amplifies the essence of the song.
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