|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
LP
|
|
ECKECHO 008LP
|
Ngwaka Son Systéme is led by musicians Love Lokombe and Bom's Bomolo, having previously founded the band KOKOKO!. This new project continues the contemporary Congolese tradition of reinventing electronic music by shaping and crafting music instruments made of household objects. "Iboto Ngenge" means "power struggle" or "seizing the opportunity" but while words can only be roughly translated, the music reaches listeners unambiguously. A potent mixture of techno, rumba, soukous, zagué and dancehall with the unique "Kinoise" brand -- the city that never stops innovating in the music landscape worldwide. As a means to continue strengthening the links between Africa and Latin America, Eck Echo has tasked Colombian dub engineer Diego Gomez with the analog mixing of the stems, originally recorded by Levy David at Timbela Ba Studio in Kinshasa. With the aim to bring the lexicon of shared Colombian and Congolese music into the next chapter, Eck Echo presents to the world the magnificent music of Ngwaka Son Systéme. The inadvertently techno-oriented "Lakala," a trance-inducing experience where listeners can quickly relish to the lyrics even without speaking Lingala, for the shapes of the words are already inviting listeners to dance, sing and smile, all the while virtuoso percussionist Steroy operates the DIY-drum kit at high-tempo. The call-and-response effect, where each musician lends their voice to the choir, is particularly felt in "Bo Lobi Pe," where the vocals guide listeners ever so playfully to the tune of an acoustic guitar that invites them to take off their shoes, kick back and relax. "Zanga Mbongo" (translated as "there is no money") is lyrically a proud anthem to celebrating life in spite of economic scarcity, and musically it is a triumphant renewal to the legendary soukous genre of the 1970s, championed by worldwide renowned stars such as Pepe Kallé and Sam Mangwana.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
ECKECHO 006LP
|
Rural is the first long-play work of Carlos Asimbaya aka Kaifo, which sees a fully matured vision of Ecuadorian keyboard tradition catapulted into the future and rhythmically sustained by the "bomba" percussion; an Afroandean element that bears witness to the unique history of this country. Trained in classical music composition and inspired by jazz, Kaifo's repertoire features haunting, extensive melodies and scales that inform listeners on the landscapes of Andean styles while delivering a postmodern dancefloor experience. Rural finds a home under the Eck Echo roof, a label that proposes new and exciting shapes of global music for our ever-growing audiences. With Rural Kaifo uplifts the Ecuadorian organ tradition inaugurated in the mid-1960s by the likes of Polibio Mayorga into futuristic clubbing arenas. "Tres Caminos" is a magnificent opener where psychedelia meets the soft snare elegance of the "albazo", the indigenous genre that defines the soul of this country. "Monte Espeso" introduces clubbers worldwide to the contagious grooves of "bomba", the trademark rhythm of Afroecuadorian communities. The raw keyboard melody strikes fast like a proverbial lightning. "Hecho Leña" sounds like the one-man orchestra that is Kaifo. Relentless timbales fills and an alcohol-fueled family vibe characterize this unique "chicha" track.
|
|
|
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Label |
Catalog # |
|
|
LP
|
|
ECKECHO 003LP
|
"Named after a street in the historic center of Quito, Rocafuerte paints an anachronic and anatopic picture of voyages between Latin America and Europe, set to a multitude of beats ranging from trip hop and reggaeton to juke and UK Garage, which the artist uncompromisingly blends with nostalgic samples of Italian chanson and South American folk, warped through the magic of the artists' trusted tape machine."
|