Mbongwana Star

From Kinshasa, the debut album from Mbongwana Star, is an astounding shot in the arm. A brand new act emerging, as the album’s title suggests, from the sprawling, unpredictable mass of Kinshasa, capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the third largest urban area in Africa, they’ve forged something truly thrilling out of their difficult roots – “making magic out of garbage”, as band member Doctor L calls it. The album’s first glimpse, Malukayi, (which features compatriots Konono No.1) streamed via Boiler Room earlier this month to rapturous reactions. And rightly so; we’ve certainly never heard anything like it. A hypnotic, propulsive electronic loop seeps over a tightly wound beat replete with busy, organic clatter, calling to mind an African twist on ESG’s scattergun NY post-disco. The album as a whole welcomes snarling, fuzzed out high life guitars, funk rhythms, skittering percussion and countless voices in a concoction which is guaranteed to blow minds when they bring their seven-strong live show to the UK this June. From Kinshasa drops on May 18 via World Circuit. Trust us – it’s incredible.