Congotronics - Konono No. 1
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Metascore
87 out of 100

Universal acclaim - based on 11 Critics What's this?

User Score
9.0 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 4 Ratings

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  • Summary: The first installment of a series of "Congotronics" releases features seven tracks by 30-year old Kinshasa-based band Konono No. 1, whose unconventional, homemade amplification brings an almost experimental edge to traditional African trance music.

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
  1. All Music Guide
    90
    Part traditional, part African rhumba, part smart avant-garde electronica, Congotronics is the sound of an urban junkyard band simultaneously weaving the past and the future into one amazingly coherent structure, and not only that, you can dance to it.
  2. Tiny Mix Tapes
    80
    I simply cannot imagine what it would be like to see these guys live, but follow up that New Order at your next dance party with some Congotronics and people will be bouncing off the walls.
  3. Mojo
    80
    Stick on the nine minutes of opener Lufuala Ndonga, turn the bottom end up and stand back. What happens next is unbelievable. [May 2005, p.98]
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  4. The Guardian
    80
    This could be one of the unexpected successes of the year. Play it very loud.

See all 11 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. MD.
    9
    An exceptional release from an exceptional band. Their repertoire of adhoc electronic instruments exudes an unpolished charm that transcends the basic "world music" label. Some may compare them to Can, or to Aphex Twin and his ilk, but Konono N°1 is on another level. A guaranteed hit both with those contemplative musicologist types and those looking to trance their tits off.… Collapse
  2. larryl
    8
    8.5......pretty ingratiating. somehow, after just a few listens, the once foreign melodies turn into familiar hooks. also, it makes you want to bang on things, which can only be healthy.… Expand

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