((Konono No. 1)) Band Profile and Upcoming Los Angeles Concerts - Oh My Rockness

Konono No. 1 is a sprawling collective of musicians from The Democratic Republic of Congo that have had recent releases on both Fat Cat (Animal Collective, Sigur Ros) and Ache Records (Death From Above 1979). The dozen+ members of Konono No. 1 have been playing a style of music the Congolese refer to as "tradi-modern" (meaning electrified traditional music) for over 25 years.

The band uses a wide array of eclectic instruments, including a "sanza" (thumb piano attached to a resonator), electric "likembes," hand-made microphones, and cart parts attached to pots for percussion. The result is a hybrid of folk, experimental avant-garde, electronica, and even punk rock.

The centerpiece of their live show is an incomprehensibly huge wall of speakers (needless to say, their shows are tremendously loud). This vast band produces bruising beats and sound you are guaranteed to have never heard in your lifetime.

Published October 4, 2005