Republic of Upper Volta

A sign of influence

As much as I love Beatport, I rarely find myself trusting the playlists they hype or the people who binge on them. But sometimes you’re really bored at work and Beatport slips you an email of staff recommendations; you just have to look. Among other things, label manager Dave suggested “Ombala Mbembo” by Arto Mwambé. According to his Myspace, Mwambé is from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and his latest release, “Mudhutma!” (on Munich-centered Brontosaurus Records) is perfect for someone coming off a Moodymann bender. He starts right in with tension-laden string melodies, plucky whistles and a relentless female vocal loop. Highly recommended for those who pine for soul to overtake minimalism in modern deep house.

Arto Mwambé, “Noh Ngambebo” [Brontosaurus] (buy) (buy) (buy)

On the flipside is “Noh Ngamebo,” which expands Mwambé’s palate and gets my rating. Wrapping a cowbell jangle around a dark and meaty bassline and simple piano chords, the tune starts off rather low to the Earth. But it soon finds its feet at the arrival of zealous pads which attack and then mellow out. In other words, it’s a potential monster on the dancefloor. If you enjoy these tunes, make sure to get yourself a copy and check out Mwambé’s other tunes, which can be purchased here and here. Keep on eye on Brontosaurus (who were kind enough to lend me the track exclusively for one week only) as well, they’ve got a unique ear for talent.

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