MORE ZOMBIES

I got hung up on the zombie theme, and figured that it was time to rock out to Portuguese (again?) Zombie Disco Squad (ZDS). This crew is signed to Mann Recordings, and they are too good. They tend to rock the deep house pulling in naturally round-sounding instruments like steel drums and saxophone.

Dança do Zumbi (feat. MC Oscar) - ZDS


Calypso (Zombie Disco Squad vs Miman Remix) - Round Table Knight vs Beauchamp


Endless - ZDS


Hobo - ZDS


Eurovision - ZDS

This pulls towards the Kuduro side of things, it's really just a matter of location. It seems like Portugal is the place to go.

ZOMBIIEESSS

Watch out, this is right about to get diirty. Zombies are coming for your brain (er, I mean money?) Zombies for Money are a Portuguese Kuduro/moombahton group that really strays towards the siren-y side of things, and damn can they drop a beat. Also, it should be no surprise that they are signed to Enchufada records.

Numbra One - Zombies for Money


This is the song that got me hooked on them. That drop is so sick, it would be just unreal in a big room at full volume. As a bonus, here's an awesome remix by Foamo - another person to definitely watch out for.

Numbra One (Foamo Remix) - Zombies for Money


Viva la Cumbia - Zombies for Money


Kolkata (dirty version) - Zombies for Money


Here is their latest EP, out on Trouble & Bass Records:
Zombies For Money - Oy Shaba EP by Trouble & Bass

La Bombacion

Here's a few songs that I picked up from a local Rio de Janeiro DJ the other day with a very interesting sound. They were at a party that I went to. The Moombahton Remix really keeps the salsa feel of the original song strong, while adding that reggaeton beat we've come to love. Favela Robot is a very interesting mix of a Carioca funk beat with wide festival-style synths and some heavy bass/electro house influences. And last, African Game Boy has an almost Kuduro-like beat, with Cumbia and latin house overtones.

Las Caleñas (La Bombacion Moombahton Remix) - The Latin Brothers


Favela Robot - La Bombacion


African Game Boy - La Bombacion

Born out of Luanda

No Kuduro doesn't have anything to do with this guy, though Kudu are pretty awesome.


Kuduro is a style of electronic music that arose in the 1980s incorporating Angolan and Caribbean traditional rhythms and samples into Western electronic beats. It is characterized by a very distinct 3 or 5 beat polyrhythm often mixed with a classic house beat, high-paced, energetic, and eminently danceable (look up semba to see some of the Angolan root rhythms). The Portuguese Buraka Som Sistema is in large part responsible for internationalizing the music - even still, it is predominantly produced in Angola and Portugal. Enchufada Records, Buraka's label, puts out some of my favorite music of this type.

Pandonga - Tataco Mendi


That drum beat is the essence of Kuduro. Now, for some slightly less frenetic examples, starting calmly and gradually getting rawer.

Humbe, Humbe - DJ Jesus


Township Funk (Diplo Remix) - DJ Mujava


And here it is, poppin' up in some of Diplo's work, a Kuduro remix of a South African house jam. No surprise there, he somehow seems have his dirty little paws in every pot.

Come to Me - Sabbo


Mastiksoul & Buraka Som Sistema - Sabalo


And this wouldn't be complete without Buraka's "Sound of Kuduro," a collab with DJ Znobia, MIA, Saborosa, and Puto Prata

And a download:

Kudurific Egyptian Bliss

Earlier this month, Enchufada's Roulet and NaZaretH released the killer Aegyptus EP, trading remixes of some jammin Kuduro beats with a distinctly Egyptian flavor. Don't really know how they picked that up, NaZaretH is Angolan and is Portuguese. Anyway, this EP really gives you a taste of their different styles. Roulet comes through with his typical drum polyrythms (surprising us also with a floating house-y tune, Isis) and NaZaretH shows a dark, grimy side of Kuduro that I don't normally see (Pyramid and his remix of Oasis). If you're only gonna check two tunes, listen to Oasis and Osiris.

AEGYPTUS download link on description xD by Roulet

They were kind enough to release this EP for free, so go download it here: http://www.mediafire.com/?tkagkrn9neyk2rg (pw: kuduro)

Hat tip to Ghetto Bassquake for picking this up.

Next post is a quick preview of some of my favorite Kuduro tunes to date.

Burakaaaaaa

The new Buraka Som Sistema album just dropped, hells yes. They're a portuguese group that blends Angolan kuduro, house, and hip hop to make their own brand of music unlike anything else out there. If you don't know who they are, I highly recommend you check out their first album, Black Diamond (2008), and their From Buraka to the World EP (2006). But way more exciting is their new album, Komba, which came out three days ago and I just got a hold of. It retains their rawness and epic dancibility, and adds a little bit more vocals. In my opinion a few tracks are a little bit more pop-y (one or two maybe too much so), but the rest are massive.

Off Komba (2011):

Candonga


Tira o Pe:


Hangover (bababa)

This one has been out for a while, and to be honest I didn't like it for the first couple of times I listened. But it grows on you. Also, I think it's hilarious that they're saying nha nha nha nha nha…, brings out the 5 year old in me.

And here's a taste of the poppier side (still good)
Voodoo Love


And as a bonus, two sick remixes:
Kurum (Roulet Remix)


Roulet is another member of Buraka's Enchufada label, and Buraka always seems to throw this down in their sets.

Luanda Lisboa (DJ Znobia Remix) - Sorry, I don't have a playable link, but here's a download.

Znobia is an an awesome Angolan Kuduro dj from Luanda who has produced on Enchufada as well. The original Luanda Lisboa was produced with Znobia, and this is his spin.