Daptone
The sound of Afrobeat, as sculpted by the late, great Fela Kuti, is one of the joys of modern music. On top of insistent, galloping drums and minimalist, never-ending bass ostinatos, two guitars weave funkily around each other while multiple horns moan and shout. Mildly distorted keyboards dance nimbly inside it all as a frontman and his backup singers condemn abuses of power and various inequalities. On its self-titled fifth album, Brooklyn-based Afrobeat band Antibalas stays true to this formula, preserving the sound of Nigeria’s turbulent ‘70s for all to hear. Recorded by head Dap-King – and longtime Antibalas associate – Gabe Roth, the raw Antibalas is a departure from the collective’s last album, an appealingly slick production chaired by Tortoise’s John McEntire. “The Ratcatcher” features a gruff bari sax solo over bouncy staccato guitar harmonies, sinister organ stabs and cutting brass blasts. “Ibeji” opens with three simultaneous guitar parts, each one a world of rhythm unto itself.
