Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra – Government Magic EP

In 1998 The Daktaris released an album called ‘Soul Explosion' on New York based label Desco. The album was packaged to look like a re-release of an obscure afro-funk classic. The white band members were even given Nigerian aliases to make the hoax all the more believable. But what made it most convincing were the tight seventies styled afro funk grooves contained within. Some tracks had a part 1 and 2 layout, as if mastered from an original 7” single (they used to spread longer tracks over two sides, merely fading it out and back in on the next side).

Some members of The Daktaris went on to form Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, also an afrobeat revivalist group. Their hypnotic afro, latin and dub beats can easily be mistaken for prime seventies era Fela Kuti. They couldn’t match his sound any closer, for they even employ a Nigerian vocalist, Amadou Dioulde Diallo to sing in Spanish, Yoruba and deliberate broken English. Brass, organ, and vocal chants all amalgamate over a complex but tight rhythm into an aural feast that displays experienced musicians that enjoy what they do. This trendy updated sound will no doubt please lovers of anything from reggae to jazz to Claude Challe.

Antibalas is Spanish for bulletproof, and here they fire their final 30 minute round of killer grooves before the release of their anticipated fith album. The grooves are tighter than tight and display experienced musicians that enjoy what they do. Antibalas are available on Ninja Tune records.