Off The Tracks

Off The Tracks
  • Blog
    • Interviews
    • Miscellany
    • Special Guests
    • Reviews
  • Podcasts
  • The Vinyl Countdown
  • Back Catalogue
  • About
    • About
    • About the banner image
    • On Song
    • Advertise
July 31, 2014 by Simon Sweetman

V/A: Africa Express Presents Maison Des Jeunes

masison africaVarious Artists

Africa Express Presents: Maison Des Jeunes

Transgressive Records

Damon Albarn hasn’t hit it out of the park with every project he’s been involved in since Blur but it’s pretty close – the strike-rate is impressive and here, with Maison Des Jeunes Albarn overseas/spearheads an album that was put together after a week-long trip to Mali where Albarn’s Africa Express project linked superstar producers (Brian Eno, Nick Zinner, Two Inch Punch, David Maclean of Django Django, Albarn…) with African musicians.

There’s a cultural weight to this, obviously – but the music is infectious from the opening Fantainfalla Toyi Bolo by Adama Koita (produced by Two Inch Punch) through to the closing Lategue by Tiemoko Sogodogo (produced by Eno). In this Western rock meets African music mash-up it’s sometimes hard to know exactly where the guitars have come from Nick Zinner and Remi Kabaka mingle desert blues and country licks on Songhoy Blues’ Soubour and Albarn and Two Inch Punch create a hypnotic, trippy dubplate for Ghostpoet’s flow as he and Doucoura trade for Season Change.

The gentle Dougoude Saffaro by Bijou shows some of Albarn’s production skills, a soft bed of percussion for this ballad to be draped across. Elsewhere the charge of Africa is loud and proud – as talking drums dictate on Lil Silva’s self-produced Bouramsy.

Every track its own standout this is a fantastic compilation brimming with ideas, sometimes a fresh sonic approach peeks out (as on Talbi’s Rapou Kanou – an exciting piece of African rap) and other times it’s the idea of tradition that speaks so boldly (Gambari and Kankou Kouyate’s beautiful Yamore). Albarn hasn’t always got it right – but he’s doing a lot of good with music. And for music. And it would be impossible to complain about this album – his profile should see it getting some notice. The music is stunning, the idea so bold – and yet so simple. Music really is the universal language – see her for further proof.

Posted in Blog, Reviews and tagged with Africa, Africa Express, Africa Express Presents: Maison Des Jeunes, Album Review, Brian Eno, Compilation, Damon Albarn, David Maclean, Django Django, Ghostpoet, Maison Des Jeunes, Mali, Nick Zinner, Transgressive Records, Two Inch Punch, V/A, Various Artists. RSS 2.0 feed.
« The Vinyl Countdown # 1068
Dylan Howe: Subterranean – New Designs on Bowie’s Berlin »

Popular

  • Janna Lapidus Leblanc: Four Years In Pictures
  • The Sad Story of Bob Welch: Fleetwood Mac’s Most Undervalued Member
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 8 – Mark Knopfler
  • The Ghost of Electricity: War Stories by Jon McLeary # 174 Maraetotara Falls
  • Mike Edison: Sympathy For The Drummer – Why Charlie Watts Matters
  • David Bowie’s Most Underrated Album: 1. Outside
  • The Best Guitarist in The World: # 11 – Lindsey Buckingham
  • Stubs: # 280 – Waiheke Island, Auckland, 2021
  • The Faggets: WE DON’T GIVE A FUCK ABOUT SHIT
  • Gig Review: Live Rust Concert Tour (August 6, Wgtn)

Archives

Tags

Album Review Auckland Book Book Review Compilation DJ DJ Set DVD DVD Review EP Film Film Review Gig Gig Review Guest Blog Guitar Interview Jazz Jon Mcleary Live Live Gig LP Movie Music NZ Podcast Poem Record Records Simon Sweetman Soundtrack Spines Spotify Stub Stubs Sweetman Podcast The Ghost of Electricity The Spines The Vinyl Countdown Vinyl Wellington Wgtn Writing You can support Off The Tracks via PressPatron [OST]

Categories

  • Back Catalogue
  • Blog
  • Interviews
  • Miscellany
  • Mixtapes
  • Playlists
  • Podcasts
  • Reviews
  • Scene Of The Day
  • Special Guests
  • The Vinyl Countdown

Off The Tracks is the home of Sweetman Podcast, a weekly interview/chat-based pod. It's also home to my reviews across film, TV, music and books and some creative writing as well.

Off The Tracks aims to provide quality reviews and essays, regular blog updates about the shows, albums, books and movies you should be experiencing.

It's a passion project. Your support will help to keep Off The Tracks online.

All content © 2021 by Off The Tracks. WordPress Themes by Graph Paper Press