Antibalas

fourteen years after their first gig, and five since the release of their last album, 2007's 'security', antibalas - afrobeat's premier second-wave ensemble - are back with their fifth full-length release. originally conceived by perna as a cross between the nyc latin funk grooves of eddie palmieri, harvey averne and mandrill and the afrobeat jams of the late fela kuti, the music of antibalas gradually shifted towards the fela side of the equation. new album 'antibalas' was recorded live in the studio to one-inch 8-track tape. tracks like 'the rat catcher,' 'him belly no go sweet,' 'ari degbe' and 'ibeji' capture the band's fiery telepathy and unrelenting sense of groove, while also showcasing their most concisely focused attack yet. from the deft rumble of the new rhythm section (drummer miles arntzen and bassist nikhil yerawadekar) to the leonine growl of longtime frontman amayo, the band - which also includes victor axelrod (organ, electric piano, sticks), marcos garca (guitar, background vocals) and marcus farrar (shekere, sticks, background vocals) - sounds more locked in and self-assured than ever.