Review: Various Artists - "Tradi-Mods Vs. Rockers"
Zanily eclectic, bewilderingly diverse and totally solid collection of remixes of source material from the already heady cultural pan-centric Konono No.1-related Congotronics culture of electrified African pop that encompasses psych, electric rock, jazz, noise and afro-beat. The original musics by Konono No.1 were a sensation when they finally hit the west back in '06 with the Crammed Discs label releasing their Congotronics album to acclaim from all over the audience spectrum; indie rockers, aging punks, jazz dudes, noiseniks, everyone dug this Afro-madness. No surprise then, to see some years later a dialog has opened up where those western scenes are now sending signals back up the line to the source as collaborations and interpretations of the Konono/Congotronics sound. And here we are with a mind-boggling representation of that effect featuring the talents of Basic Channel's Mark Ernestus, Animal Collective, Deerhoof, Oneida, Skeletons, Optimo, Juana Molina, Shackleton - and that doesn't even begin to cover the diversity of names on here!