Analog Africa: Angola 2 Soundtrack Hypnosis, Distortion & Other Sonic Innovations 1969-1978 2LP

Analog Africa returns with their second super heavyweight comp of Angolan music from the 70s. The music of Angola seems to come from a completely different place than the Afrobeat of Nigeria. A unique set of circumstances led to the creation of the music that is compiled on Analog Africa: Angola 2 Soundtrack Hypnosis, Distortion & Other Sonic Innovations 1969-1978. From the oppression of the Portuguese colonizers to the growing audiences, Angolan musicians were forced to adapt their style. With the environment changing around them they picked up electric guitars and fed on the musical influences from Cape Verde, Congo and the Dominican Republic, while staying patriotically true to their own musical legacy and unique rhythms. The small community of musicians were well connected to each other, which helped to foster healthy competition as they tried to outdo each other on stage and record. The compilation captures this short but intensely creative period. Three Angolan record companies produced nearly 800 recordings and there are plenty of rare tracks which many will hear for the first time. Along with the music Analog Africa has done an outstanding job with the packaging. The liner notes feature 44 pages acquired in coordination with the National Library of Luanda and the art magazine Note E Dia, Analog Africa head honcho Samy Ben Redjeb has managed to collect newspaper clips, extremely rare pictures of the bands onstage and printed interviews from the 70s. The stunning pages of passionate photography and artistic design also include interviews with many of the original artists and their families, biographies of the three labels that made it all possible, and of Luis Mont̻s, who was the pulse of the live music scene in Luanda.

• music label: Analog Africa 2013

reviewed by Se̱or Sue̱o Latino 1/2014