Buraka Som Sistema - Black Diamond

After what seems like an age of hype with hardly a release to their name Portuguese Angolaphiles Buraka Som Sistema finally release their debut album, fusing the sound of Angola kuduro with electro, B-more, rave, grime and other bassy styles.
 
There’s no messing about or warming up as the electro-infused sonic warfare of Luanda-Lisboa kicks us off straight into 5^th gear. You get the impression from the start that this album is going to be abrasive, in-your-face, and possibly a bit too much to digest in one sitting. M.I.A. joins in fun on Sound Of Kuduro, in typically commanding fashion – the clap-heavy, jittering rhythms, tribal percussion, Portuguese rapping and big brash bass sounds typifying Buraka’s take on the genre.
 
Aqui Para Vocês takes on fidget house with groovy aplomb, while Kurum shows a more minimalist approach – fiercely tribal, subby, and pinned down by a sneering, hard-filtering, D&B style synth. The B-more electro bounce of IC19 is an instrumental highlight, but the dumb, unremarkable Tiroza quickly wears down your resolve again thereafter. General injects some summery African instrumentation and singing into the otherwise tough and brutal textures, and the cross-cultural fun continues as London grime boy Kano joins in on Skank & Move – a perfect blend of the African rhythms and some of Kano’s murky UK flow.
 
Their style is ultimately an acquired taste, and in small doses I find it pretty enjoyable, but a whole album just feels a bit monotonous. Seeing them live is apparently a riot, but on a home stereo it’s just a bit of a droning slog for me to take in one sitting. If you've seen them and you like what they do however, it may be a different story.