In addition, he releases his first single, “Mokili”, a track party that has its roots in Congolese musical traditions.
KOKOKO! is a musical act emanating dance punk from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since 2019, with his debut album Fongola, have caused an acoustic tide on the international scene. This year, the group led by Makara Bianko in the company of the producer Xavier Thomas –known as Debruit– resumes his musical and creative energy to deliver to us BUTUwhich will be available on July 5 through the record label Transgressive Records.
KOKOKO! channels the energy of Congo’s nightlife and turns it into a sonic hurricane that revolves around electronic music and the traditional roots of African music. The musical culture of Kinshasa, capital of the Congo, is a celebration of African traditions highlighted by pulsating percussion. On his new album, BUTU, KOKOKO! takes advantage of these bases and coordinates them perfectly with the most conventional dancehall and electronic dance. The result is a dance punk experiment that wanders between the contagious rhythms of African dance music and maintains a commanding tone through the singing in Lingala of Makara Bianko.
‘Mokili’ is about moving the world so much that it seems like it’s going to tip over…Compared to Fongolathis album is intentionally more intense, because it is more optimistic and much more direct,” says Thomas Xavier in a press release.
The lead single from BUTU is he track “Mokili”, which means “The night” in Lingala. It is a contagious rhythm that arises from improvisation and that refuses to be ignored, it is also a resonance that coordinates the frenetic nightlife of the Congo. To accompany the release of the single and promote his new album, KOKOKO! released a music video for “Moklili”. The video clip consists of an audiovisual exercise that positions dance as a group activity that takes place in any space and at any time.
The launch of BUTU It promises to be an experience about the energy that invades the body and that pulsates over the night environment of the city in the Congo. We share the setlist and the cover of the next album KOKOKO! right here.
Tracklist:
- “Butu Ezo Ya”
- “Bazo Banga”
- “Donne Moi”
- “Motema Mabe”
- “Mokili”
- “Mokolo Likambu”
- “Kidoka”
- “Motoki”
- “Telema”
- “Nasala Nini”
- “Elingi Biso Te”
- “Salaka Good”
