Sonar Sessions 2009

Konono No1

Crammed Discs, Congo

The Orchestre Tout Puissant Likembe Konono No1 has been around since at least the late 1970s. Formed in Kinshasa around an impressive array of home made (and home modified) instruments, their music is as unique as their tools. Electrified thumb pianos might not look like the most imposing instruments (although Konono make up for that with a powerful amplifier topped with a huge horn), but the mighty noises and distortions produced by their unique setup has taken their take on traditional Bazombo trance music to outer space. Collaborations with dutch punk rockers The Ex and Bjoerk show that they are equally at home in experimental rock and electronic music settings and their release in the Congotronics series on Belgian label Crammed Discs should be required listening for anyone.