乐评/Review

Lady Aicha & Pisko Crane’s Orginal Fulu Miziki of Kinshasa - 《N’Djila Wa Mudujimu (NNT043)》

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《N'Djila Wa Mudujimu》，发行于2022年10月21日，可能是今年10月份的发行中最好玩，最有活力的专辑之一了。这是中非的刚果金沙萨乐队Fulu Miziki（现更名为Lady Aicha & Pisko Crane's Original Fulu Miziki of Kinshasa）在经过人员大换血后，由神秘的乌干达本土厂牌Nyege Nyege Tapes发行的一份充满了趣味性的音乐作品。

Fulu Miziki，从林加拉语翻译成中文是“来自垃圾的音乐”，表达了乐队领队Pisko Crane作为环保主义者的思想。专辑上听到的大多数声音都是来自乐队从他们住的贫民窟里的垃圾堆中找到的材料做出来的乐器。Pisko这个从垃圾堆里收集材料做乐器的启发来源于本地嘻哈圈的知名乐器匠人Besson de la Rue（翻译成来自街头的Besson）。Pisko开始" Fulu Miziki "的概念就是不管经济条件如何，每个人都能够使用乐器。

Pisko的理念应该是受到了金沙萨著名乐队Konono Nº1的影响–––1966年活跃至今的先锋乐队，同样是用废墟堆里的材料做打击乐以及扩音器。

Lady Aicha，一位行为艺术家、装置艺术家、服装设计师，是后来加入的，给乐队带来了独特的色彩和声音。

图片来源：Hellmuzik 

《N'Djila Wa Mudujimu》不拘一格和狂热的音乐风格实在是有些难以定义。当然可以将它很“不负责任地”直接归类为Afrobeat，但在这里你可以听到非常多电子乐的影子，偶尔又能感受到浓郁的摇滚氛围、被Fela Kuti影响到的后朋节奏和音色、刚果本地soukous的多节奏的鼓点、非洲未来主义的概念、和krautrock的实验性。或许这样独一无二的音乐值得拥有一个独特的标签吧，不管怎么分类，它一定是一份能够唤起你跳舞DNA的优秀佳作。

音乐中最吸引人的地方就属每首歌愉悦且多变的节奏还有那些清新脱俗的旋律了。

比如第三首歌Mutangila中，某一种乐器持续不断地演奏同一段旋律，难以判断是否音乐制作中用到了合成器，听上去像一根线边被拉紧边被拨弦。此外，歌曲中大量使用了4/4拍鼓点，所以给它的第一印象就是适合舞动自己身体的电子乐！（同样的，专辑中的第9首歌Two Seven也有类似的感觉）

相比之下第六首歌，Sebe，给人了一种更加阴暗的情绪，音乐上甚至参杂着一丝工业音乐的元素。密集的打击乐声和各种怒吼声漂浮在主唱的嗓音和在三全音音程跳动的后朋音色的低音旋律之上，与其他乐器交织在一起，营造出了一种与专辑中大多数歌曲不同的不和谐气质。

专辑上最出色的一首歌还得是第七首歌Tikanga。神秘的弦乐器五声音阶旋律，对于国内听众来说，可能有种熟悉的“东方”声音，加上低音旋律无限循环，再加上行云流水般巧妙变化的鼓点，配合上高潮处典型的刚果vocal，绝！能感受到一种在夏天的傍晚喝着酸奶乘凉的感觉，实属美丽。

最后一首歌Kraut更是令人兴奋的。两分半钟的播放时长就是两分半钟的至尊迷幻享受！各种打击乐器叠加在一起，混上动态丰富的男女声吼叫歌词。作为整张专辑的收尾，这首歌很好地收住了专辑的情绪，留给听众他们最后的朋克精神和活力。

现在！灵魂出窍！好听，必听！但太可惜的是，本次发行是Fulu Miziki乐队解散前的最后一张专辑。

专辑的Bandcamp页标签居然还给出post-rock。有没有朋友留意到了这样的元素？欢迎在评论区里交流哦。

相似艺人：

Konono Nº1 - Yambadi Mama

Phelimuncasi - Ngiphupha Izinto (prod NET GALA)

（同厂牌，与Fulu Miziki一样拥有极其丰富的打击乐器，以及收放自如的节奏变化）

Raja Kirik – Kubro

（同厂牌，与Fulu Miziki一样拥有极其丰富的打击乐器。不同的地方在于来自印度尼西亚的Raja Kirik二人组做的纯音乐更加的阴暗，并有着宗教仪式，萨满做法的感觉。）

WaqWaq Kingdom - Doggy Bag

乐评作者：满弓（哔哩哔哩：一只小张666）

N’Djila Wa Mudujimu, released October 21, might be the most playful and energetic record released this month. After a restructuring of the band, Kinshasa-based Congolese band Fulu Miziki (renamed to Lady Aicha & Pisko Crane’s Orginal Fulu Miziki of Kinshasa) released this wildly interesting musical work on the unique Ugandan Nyege Nyege Tapes label.

Fulu Miziki, translated from Lingala, means “music from the trash”, hinting at bandleader Pisko Crane’s eco-activist background. Many of the sounds heard on the record come from instruments made from discarded rubbish found around the slums where the band resides. The idea of using recycled garbage to create instruments came out of encounters between Pisko Crane and legendary Kinshasa instrument maker Besson de la Rue in the local hip-hop scene. Fulu Miziki’s guiding principle was, people should have access to instruments, no matter their socioeconomic background.

Undoubtedly, Pisko was also influenced by the legendary Konono Nº1, a pioneering Kinshasa-based band, active since 1966, who create percussive instruments and amplifiers from parts salvaged from junkyards.

Lady Aicha, a multi-hyphenate artist active in performance art, sculpture art, and fashion design, joined the band afterwards, bringing her unique sound and colourful vibrancy.

Image from: Hellmuzik

N'Djila Wa Mudujimu's frenetic eclecticism avoids easy genre labels. Of course, one could irresponsibly slot the album under the Afrobeat label, but Fulu Miziki's music contains a variety of electronic influences, in addition to a thick underpinning of rock and roll energy, Fela Kuti-inspired post-punk rhythmic and sonic pallettes, Congolese soukous polyrhyhthms, Afrofuturist concepts, and krautrock experimentalism. Maybe this album deserves a genre tag unique to itself.

But regardless of how one tries to categorize it, it's undeniable that there's something in its DNA that makes you want to just dance. By far the most attractive part of music is the sheer variety and diversity of rhythms found on each track and the group's knack for fresh yet refined melodies.

For example, on the album's third track, Mutangila, there's a repeating motif played by some sort of stringed instrument, with a timbre that leaves one unable to discern if it was a real instrument or a synth, sounding like a string being continually plucked as it gets pulled taut. Aside from that, the song makes full use of a four-on-the-floor kickdrum pattern that on first listen immediately sounds dancefloor ready. (Similarly, the ninth track of the album, Two Seven, also gives the same feeling.)

In contrast, the sixth track of the album, Sebe, brings out darker emotions, with a sound pallette hinting at a more industrial ambiance. Dense percussion (of pipe sounds) and various shouted background vocals churn above shouted lead vocals and a post-punk bassline jumping back and forth between a tritone interval, interweaving with other instruments, establishing a sense of dissonance that sets it apart from other tracks on the album.

The standout track from the album would be the seventh track, Tikanga. The mystical sounding pentatonic riff from some sort of string instrument sounds vaguely close to home to Chinese ears, and with the looped bassline coupled with the subtly changing drum beats that billow like clouds and flow like water, combined with classic Congolese vocals at the climax, just amazing! It feels like a much needed cool yogurt drink on a summer evening.

The last song Kraut is another exciting one. The track's runtime of two and a half minutes is two and a half minutes of supreme psychedelic enjoyment. Various percussion instruments are superimposed together, mixed with dynamic and rich male and female voices shouting lyrics. As the album outro, this track summarizes the mood of the album and finishes off the album with punk-filled energy and attitude.

Listen to this album! You will not be disappointed. It's a pity that this album is Fulu Miziki's last recording before they split.

Vibes like：

Konono Nº1 - Yambadi Mama

Phelimuncasi - Ngiphupha Izinto (prod NET GALA)

Raja Kirik – Kubro

WaqWaq Kingdom - Doggy Bag