Les Filles de Illighadad & Edmony Krater– AMBIANCE II [AFRICAN ACID IS THE FUTURE]

Morning Mari*‘s album of the week for this week is ‘Ambiance II’ by Les Filles de Illighadad and Edmony Krater, out on African Acid Is The Future. 

African Acid Is The Future was born in 2014, first as an intimate gathering in a typical night bar, evolving into a club format as the following in Berlin grew.​ ​First presenting on Berlin Community Radio they are now hosting a regular show on Worldwide.FM in parallel to their projects, parties, and Volksbuehne Berlin concert series.

As their mantra announces “From Afro To Techno and everything in between”, AAITF presents a musical choice dense and multigenre​. The collective counts among its prestigious guests: Guem, Ogoya Nengo & The Dodo Women, Les Filles de Illighadad, La Chatte, Mdou Moctar, Hailu Mergia, Aerea Negrot, to name a few.

In 2017, AAITF becomes a label supported by The Vinyl Factory London, announcing a trilogy of LPs. Beginning with ‘Ambiance I’ in October 2018., ‘Ambiance II’ now continues to share the adventures of the collective, and proposes new parts of their musical endeavors.

Cult Berlin club night and label African Acid is the Future returns with the second release in their Ambiance trilogy that takes listeners into the unique spirit of the club night. This time, they offer a series of recordings from the party itself, all taken live in the heat of the party in May 2018. Featuring two tracks from Les Filles de Illighadad and two from Edmony Krater and remixes by AAITF residents Dauwd and Maryisonacid, as well as DJ Oil.

Les Filles de Illighadad come from a secluded commune in central Niger, far off in the scrubland deserts at the edge of the Sahara. Best known for their guitar performances, this recording from AAITF finds them at their percussive best on the simply titled “Tende I” and “Tende II”. Tende takes its name from a drum built from a goat skin stretched across a mortar and pestle. Like its environs, tende music is a testament to wealth in simplicity, with sparse compositions built from a few elements: vocals, handclaps, and percussion. Songs speak of the village, of love, and of praise for ancestors. It’s a music form dominated by women. Collective and communal, tende is tradition for all the young girls of the nomad camps, played during celebrations and to pass the time during the late nights of the rainy season.

Edmony Krater is an avant-garde percussionist, singer and trumpet player, as well as a native of Guadeloupe. For his performance, Krater performs a duo of tracks separated by three decades, but united by Carribean rhythms. “Gwadloup” was originally released in 1988 as part of the album “Edmony Krater Et Zepiss – Tijan Pou Velo,” while “Lagé” is taken from 2018’s album “Edmony Krater – An ka sonjé”.

Dauwd and Maryisonacid turn in their first ever collaborative remix, turning “Tende II” into a powerful yet restrained groove that perfectly captures the feel of peak-time on an AAITF dancefloor, mixing a playful synthesis with traditional instruments and building bridges between genres without resorting to clichés.
Dauwd applies his gently bubbling style to Krater’s “Gwadloup,” utilising as many elements of the original as possible to construct a lounging, authentic groove that thrives on an irresistible live bassline. A special AAITF outro kisses off “Lage” before French master DJ Oil closes the record with his layered, sophisticated interpretation of “Gwadloup.”

Also, make sure to check out our monthly African Acid Is The Future show curated by Dauwd and Maryonacid.

Tracklist:

1. Les Filles De Illighadad – Tende I
2. Les Filles De Illighadad – Tende II
3. Edmony Krater – Lagé
4. Edmony Krater – Gwadloup
5. Les Filles de Illighadad – Tende II (Dauwd & Maryisonacid mix)
6. Edmony Krater – Gwadloup (Dauwd remix)
7. Edmony Krater – Lagé (AAITF Outerlude)
8. Edmony Krater – Gwadloup (DJ Oil remix)