Bantou Mentale rewrites the codes of African music - her debut album shines with its urban raw club sound and cool vibes. A dark, thundering Kinshasa meets the sound world of Paris. Ecstatic singing, broken beats, basses and full throttle energy. Bantou Mentale are a four-piece group of acoustic pioneers who have released a brilliant debut album with the identical "Bantou Mentale". It's the fulfilment of their long-cherished dream: to found an African band - three quarters of the band come from the DR Congo - with the weight and character of razor-sharp club beats. The Bantou Mentale sound is neither traditional nor smooth licked and stylish, rather the band brings something raw, open into the world. There is something deep behind the joy and pain, behind the angelic choirs, the funky lowdown bass, the scratching guitars and the beautiful dirt. It's all there in this music: a cheerful, limitless up-cycling of all urban styles that Paris, London, New York, Kinshasa have to offer - combined to something completely new.
