The Pop Corporation

If you’ve spent any time in the cool sections of any decent record shop, you’ll know that the Analog Africa crew but out an insanely high quality of LPs and have been doing for ages now.

The latest is no exception, with a brilliant comp called Congo Funk! Sound Madness From The Shores Of The Mighty Congo River (Kinshasa/Brazzaville 1969-1982). It’s number 38 in the Analog Africa annals, and if you’re in need of convincing, you can head to the label’s page to listen to four tracks from it in advance.

If you’re one of those wet wipes who doesn’t do Bandcamp pages, here’s a YouTube video. But seriously – sort yourselves out and start using Bandcamp – it’s literally the best way to support record labels and independent artists at the moment and you can buy vinyl directly from it, just like any other shop.

Click here to listen or buy the record.

The vinyl is 2xLP and is a gorgeous gatefold sleeve and comes with a beautiful full colour 16-page magazine-format booklet and a bandcamp exclusive handmade poster.

Here’s the cover in full for you to have a look at.

The Congo river is a rich seam of musical talent and the Analog Africa team pulled 2,000+ tracks for the compilation, and managed to whittle it down to 14, so you can expect there’ll be future comps based on this area. It’s heavy, psychedelic, and super fun music which is modern shit mixed with trad Congolese Rumba rhythms, and chances are, you’re going to be updating your DJ sets when you land this.

Of course, this area was scene to the James Brown gig in Kinshasa, in the lead up to the Ali/Frazier fight in ’74, so Africa suddenly found itself going gonzo for Western soul music, but obviously, putting their own stamp on it. It was a thrilling period in African music, and this will find you listening to heavy grooves, as well as more plaintive stuff.

Analog Africa comps sell out pretty fast so don’t hang around umming-and-aahing about this.