Taken as the birthplace of rhythm and groove, it’s no surprise that African music and contemporary electronic music fit so well together. Of course it also takes great skill to marry both soundscapes in a balanced way; something Philou Louzolo is very adept at doing. The Rotterdam-based producer has drawn deeply on his own Congolese, Nigerian and Sierra Leonian roots alongside a passion for house and funk to create a world of warm and wonderful tones with an earthy vitality.
Following on from his release on Banoffee Pies last year (which climbed its way into NPR’s Best Dance Tracks of 2015), Louzolo is back with a new four-track EP of more afro-futurism goodness on Amsterdam-based label TINK! Music.
Our favourite pick off the new release leads in with a gritty lo-fi tuned percussion loop that evolves into colourful orchestration harping back to Fela Kuti’s Africa 70 group. Rich sax horns loop around syncopated grooves and eventually build into contagious call-and-response vocals that breathe life into the heady instrumentation. This one’s sure to heat up dance-floors in 2016.
‘Nyara Nyara’ is taken from Philou Louzolo Presents Afrifuturism, out this month on Tink! Music. Pre-order from Juno.
