Tradi-Mods v Rockers Crammed Discs ****

Konono No 1's Congotronicsalbum (2004) caused a storm of excitement well beyond the band's native Kinshasa. Congotronicswas an extraordinary, swirling, manic soundclash of fierce percussion, frantic thumb pianos and various car parts live and direct from the hectic streets of the Congolese capital. Western indie and alternative bands pay tribute by having a bash at the work of Konono No 1, Kasai Allstars and others. There are plenty of jewels among the 26 tracks, including Wilco dummer Glenn Kotche catching fire with Traducteur de Transmission, Animal Collective attempting to scare the horses with Quick as White, and dubstep dons Shackleton and Bass Clef rocking the bassbins. While none of the tracks possess quite the same intensity as the originals, it's still a brave, laudable stab at next-generation pop music.

See crammed.be

Download tracks: Glenn Kotche , Traducteur de Transmission;Shackleton , Mukumba Special;Bass Clef , The Incident at Mbuji-Mayi