About this item

The long-awaited second album by the mindblowing, mythic collective from Kinshasa, DRC is a collection of over 100 minutes of wild, trance-inducing, raw intensity. Their 2008 debut album ‘In the 7th Moon...’ made a lasting impact on the imagination of artists such as Animal Collective, Juana Molina, Shackleton and Deerhoof as well as music lovers everywhere.

The core of Kasai Allstars consists of fifteen musicians from five bands, all from the Kasai region of Congo, but originating from five different ethnic groups. They each have their own culture, language and musical traditions, which were always thought to be incompatible until these musicians decided to transcend their differences and work together. Kasai Allstars draw their songs from festive / ritual music and the lyrics tackle matters such as sorcery, social commentary and traditional wisdom.

‘Beware the Fetish’ presents a broader scope of Kasai Allstars’ music, probing deeper into the musicians’ repertoires and styles, with the help of a large array of guests. The band use their trademark mixture of traditional instruments (slit and buzz drums, xylophones), electric guitars, and distorted thumb pianos with DIY amplification (such as the giant bass likembe which adorns the cover). Some songs showcase rocking & intertwining guitars, others include a higher proportion of acoustic percussion or likembes, and they all feature arresting vocal performances by a cast of charismatic singers.