New Afrirampo: “Potsu Potsu”

ByPatrick St. Michel

What, huh, where did this come from? Afrirampo have a new album out this week, and I am not happy that I just found out about it tonight…but also glad I did! The duo got back together last year after a bit of time off, but this Friday’s Afriverse marks their first original album in eight years. “Potsu Potsu” reminds that, while the pair are best known for the pure fierceness of their playing, Afrirampo know how to get tension out of a build…and have a little fun along the way. This one starts measured and pretty sparse, but they ramp it up, making sudden pivots into more vaseline-on-lens moments, and some eruptions of feedback and wild drumming. What makes this one a real charmer is how it never feels like it is suddenly zipping off into new directions — everything feels natural and earned, even the final rush when they cut loose and just spit syllables all over the place. Listen above.

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