Konono Nº1 return with first new release in nearly a decade: ‘Volta’

Created in collaboration with French electronic collective Montparnasse Musique, ‘Volta’ reconnects Konono Nº1’s raw, distorted likembé sound with the ecstatic pulse of modern electronic club music. Hypnotic thumb pianos, handmade amplification systems and propulsive percussion collide in a track that feels both deeply rooted and radically futuristic.

Founded in Kinshasa in the 1960s by Mingiedi Mawangu, Konono Nº1 became internationally celebrated through their groundbreaking Congotronics recordings on Crammed Discs, which introduced global audiences to their electrified trance music built from traditional Bazombo rhythms, homemade microphones and salvaged electronics. Their influence has since rippled across electronic, experimental and alternative music worldwide. In this latest line-up, Bachelier ‘Makonda’ Mbuta, grandson of founder Minigiedi, assumes the role of band leader.

Over the years, the band have collaborated with artists including Björk and Herbie Hancock, performed at festivals including Coachella and All Tomorrow’s Parties, and received a Grammy nomination for Live at Couleur Café. Their acclaimed releases have drawn praise from publications including Pitchfork, which described their sound as “thrillingly unique stuff,” while fans and critics alike have celebrated the band’s collision of tradition, distortion and hypnotic groove.

‘Volta’ is Konono Nº1’s first major new release since Konono Nº1 Meets Batida in 2016. Far from a nostalgia exercise, it captures a band whose sound remains startlingly original and defiantly alive. The release coincides with the band’s European summer tour, including dates in France, Spain, Portugal and Hungary:

22 MAY MÁLAGA KRVV Le Térmica (ES)
30 MAY SERRALVES PT Serralves em Festa (PT)
07 MAY BARCELONA ES Primavera Sound (ES)
25 JUL SINES Festival Musicas do Mundo (PT)
01 AUG DAPUSZTA Ozora Festival (HU)

‘Volta’ is out now on all digital platforms via Real World X.

Listen/Download