Black Noise 2084

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DJ Khalab is an anomaly in Italy. While the country’s new leaders are turning back boats from Africa and many of his producer colleagues continue to sentimentalise over Berlin techno, Raffaele Costantino wallows in “African electronic music” like he calls it. “In Italy, there’s no African music whatsoever. It’s simple, there’s me and my great friend, Clap! Clap!. He’s the only guy with whom I can talk about African culture.” A year after participating in the Florence artist’s first album, Tayi Bebba (2014), he produced a long format with Baba Sissoko (who lives in Calabria in Southern Italy), Kumu/Tata, on which the Malian griot sings in Bambara. Following the maxi Zaire in March, Khalab is now releasing Black Noise 2084, his first solo album on which he summons African percussions and chants, as well as jazz musicians and combines them to his thick bass music, thus writing the music of the future. From the very first track, Father and Grandpa, Khalab launches a polyrhythm that can immediately spark a trance: West-African percussions overlapped on a typically techno bass kick. Only one regret with this track: it lasts not more than three minutes! After a featuring by spoken word artist Tenesha The Wordsmith on Black Noise’s elusive bass, the atmosphere switches towards psychedelic jazz-fusion on Dense with English saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, a collaborator of the band Comet is Coming. London’s flourishing jazz scene is also relied upon on Dawn with drummer Moses Boyd, and on Bafia with multi-wing player Tamar Osborn, on an absolutely irresistible polyrhythm beat. His faithful friend Clap! Clap! is also featured on Cannavaro, with a tribal beat and aggressive talking style. In solo, Khalab unveils a darker face on Chitita, and displays his ability to select hypnotising vocals for dark forests, and an acute sense for the ecstatic, as seen on Yaka Muziek. Without a doubt the most relevant album of summer 2084. © Smaël Bouaici/Qobuz