owl and bear

2007, Anti-

Security, the latest album by Brooklyn-based Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra (hereafter referred to as Antibalas) is monstrously funky, exotic, and challenging-yet-accessible.

I feel secure in saying that when you play this disc, asses will shake and hips will gyrate for damn near an hour (the first track is so funky, you’ll have to mop up after it plays).

Yes, “Beaten Metal” sounds like a hip-hop band riding on the backs of elephants and stomping everything in sight. It’s so funky, the rest of the album is almost mild by comparison.

The rest of the album is spiced with Afro-influenced jazz and funk jams that recall Fela Kuti (a major inspiration for Antibalas) and Miles Davis’ demonically funky early 70’s fusion tracks. If you crave the funk, look no further.

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