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Afrique Victime

by Mdou Moctar

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pinkytheent
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pinkytheent Very happy a colleague recommended Mdou Moctar to me after I discovered & fell in love with Tinariwen and this new (to me) desert blues sound! Mdou Moctar inject more of a psychedelic sensibility into their music rather than Tinariwen's drone, making it flavorfully distinctive, while still carrying that shining, twanging, sun-drenched sound we all love about Saharan desert rock. Love the grooving rhythms and the alternately snappy clean or drowned-in-effects guitar melodies. Excellent work! Favorite track: Afrique Victime.
mspanheimerlisten
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mspanheimerlisten Fresh sounds and a less rocky approach as Ilana. Absolute fabulous
darth_tyrannus_rex
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darth_tyrannus_rex A perfect example of rock being revitalized in the 21st century from artists all over the world. Stunningly beautiful and unique. Favorite track: Tala Tannam.
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1.
Chismiten 04:58
2.
Taliat 03:48
3.
Ya Habibti 03:31
4.
Tala Tannam 05:38
5.
Untitled 01:25
6.
Asdikte Akal 04:31
7.
Layla 04:26
8.
9.

about

With "Afrique Victime" the prodigious Tuareg guitarist and songwriter rips a new hole in the sky – boldly reforging contemporary Saharan music and “rock music” by melding guitar pyrotechnics, full-blast noise, and field recordings with poetic meditations on love, religion, women's rights, inequality, and Western Africa’s exploitation at the hands of colonial powers.

If "Ilana" was a late ’60s early ’70s ZZ Top and Black Sabbath record – "Afrique Victime" is mid-’70s to early ’80s Van Halen meets Black Flag meets Black Uhuru. The ferocity of Moctar’s electric guitar and the band's hypnotic rhythm section are on awe-inspiring display “Chismiten” and the mournful yet incandescent title track. Elsewhere, Moctar finds inspiration in highlighting lesser-known facets of the group: “While people have gotten to know Mdou Moctar as a rock band, there is a whole different set of music with this band done on acoustic guitars, which we wanted to incorporate into this album in order to go through a sonic journey,” he says. Mdou pays homage to one of his heroes Abdallah Ag Oumbadagou, the legendary Niger musician and political revolutionary, on songs “Ya Habibti” and “Layla”. “Abdallah was a contemporary of Tinariwen and helped to pioneer the sound of Tuareg guitar music blended with drum machines and electronic sounds”.

"Afrique Victime" sounds and feels like a Tuareg hand reaching down from the sky, and we are very lucky for this chance to get lifted.

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released May 21, 2021

2021, Matador Records

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Mdou Moctar Agadez, Niger

Mdou Moctar immediately stands out as one of the most innovative artists in contemporary Saharan music. His unconventional interpretations of Tuareg guitar and have pushed him to the forefront of a crowded scene. Mdou shreds with a relentless and frenetic energy that puts his contemporaries to shame. ... more

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