February 15th, 2005 5:36pm
Believing Sees Me CursedJohnny Boy "You Are The...
Believing Sees Me Cursed
Johnny Boy "You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve (Crews Against Consumismo Extended Mix)" - Ideally, a video for this song should include a huge parade complete with shiny floats, confetti, fireworks, and a thousand joyous people pumping their fist in time with the "yeah yeahs!" and throwing shoes in the air for the chorus. The original mix of the song is very grand and majestic, but this version is even more so, as it amps everything up so that it feels like four minutes of ecstatic "WE WON!!! WE WON!!!" triumph. (Thanks to Amy) (Click here to buy it from Amazon UK.)
Konono "Paradiso" - Nearly everyone who hears Congotronics is blown away, and with good reason. The Afrobeat rhythms are amazing enough, but the sound of the homemade electronic instruments is not quite like anything else I've ever heard. The lead instruments are electric versions of a traditional African instrument called a likembé. It sounds roughly like overdriven electric keyboards, but with a more subtle range of tones. But nevermind the exoticism of it all - this is compelling music, regardless of the relative novelty of its origin. I strongly doubt that you will be able to sit still while listening to this track. (Click here to buy it from Amazon UK.)
Johnny Boy "You Are The Generation That Bought More Shoes And You Get What You Deserve (Crews Against Consumismo Extended Mix)" - Ideally, a video for this song should include a huge parade complete with shiny floats, confetti, fireworks, and a thousand joyous people pumping their fist in time with the "yeah yeahs!" and throwing shoes in the air for the chorus. The original mix of the song is very grand and majestic, but this version is even more so, as it amps everything up so that it feels like four minutes of ecstatic "WE WON!!! WE WON!!!" triumph. (Thanks to Amy) (Click here to buy it from Amazon UK.)
Konono "Paradiso" - Nearly everyone who hears Congotronics is blown away, and with good reason. The Afrobeat rhythms are amazing enough, but the sound of the homemade electr
2/15/05 5:57 pm
Just got that Konono No 1 in the mail yesterday, courtesy of Aquarius Records (I think, they’re the only distro in the States carrying it.) You’re absolutely right, spectacular stuff! It shouldn’t take long before there’s a stateside issue, I would think.
2/15/05 6:05 pm
two fantastic fluxblog tracks today! thanks so much. you made my morning. now back to the dancing and fistpumping.
2/15/05 7:44 pm
I love that Johnny Boy song, looking forward to hearing the remix. I wish I could figure out what it’s about, though.
2/15/05 8:28 pm
I was wondering who would be the first blogger to break Konono out from the Aquarius Records depths (got it from there too). A weird, wonderful, great cd.
2/15/05 8:49 pm
Actually, Chris Porter at The Suburbs Are Killing Us was the first one to jump on this Congotronics record. I didn’t find it through him though, mainly because I’m a fool and don’t follow his blog closely enough.
2/15/05 10:51 pm
i still think that original johnny boy track was the best single of last year. like seeing a sunset for the first time
2/16/05 12:43 am
excellent tracks today, Matthew.
2/16/05 3:21 am
you always put up sweet — sweet — tunes. thank you!! :O
2/16/05 4:20 am
Great to hear Konono here,
Had been lucky enough to hear some rough tracks years bk and saw some great pics of the instruments and the guys who played them.
Gear cobbled together ,
tiny handmade mixer hubcaps perc,
trashed metallic sounds via homemade distortion boxes , soundsystem ran on car battery .
Cheers Matt for posting
2/16/05 11:42 am
great that the konono machine’s visibility meter is approaching the red. should clarify something nitpicky: there’s not really anything “electronic” about konono…their likembes have pickups (microphones) similar to guitar pickups, so really, “electric” is a bit more accurate. and i think it’s worth mentioning because “congotronics” is a bit of a misleading title, implying that there’s some sort of synth-ish thing going on or programming where there isn’t. thanks!
2/16/05 11:42 am
You’ve certainly posted brilliant tracks the last few days. Random, JSBX/DFA and now this! Was this the JB remix you played at that place the other month, or is it a new one?
2/16/05 2:40 pm
Love the original and didn’t think it could get any better, but that Johnny Boy mix is bloody great.
2/16/05 4:17 pm
That Johnny Boy song is possibly the best song right now ever. I couldn’t wait to get home from work today just so I could listen to it over and over and over. It’s the best song the Raveonettes never wrote.
2/17/05 12:03 am
The dutch band The Ex (www.theex.nl) did a cover of a Konono song on their latest record….
2/17/05 3:25 am
If I recall correctly, the website of Aquarius Records also has a short film you can watch showing Konono performing live. Just type Konono into the search field on the website and it should show up.
2/17/05 5:42 pm
http://www.opika.easynet.be/konono/
2/18/05 11:23 am
the Johnny Boy track …. woo hoo … infact both tracks are wonderful
2/18/05 11:33 pm
Funny that you should mention parades and ticker tape for the Johnny Boy video — I’ve always imagined some very hip politician using it as the intro music for his speech at the next Democratic convention.