When I first hit the play button to listen to Tommy Boy Records trailblazer AFRIKA BAMBAATAA's latest, "Dark Matter Moving at the Speed of Light" (Tommy Boy; release date October 26th), I immediately began to search through my Krates Full O' vinyl Jointz to find the classics like "Planet Rock" so I could see if Bam has lost anything off of his fastball. I am happy to report that the legacy is intact; Bambaataa has been paying attention! True to the dream of Tom Silverman twenty years ago, "Afrika" is still in your town with sixteen new jammin', mix-friendly tracks which tap into elements of jazz, techno-house, new wave, and pure funk. I'm glad to hear he is still the president of Zulu Nation.
Dark Matter seems to glide out of a genie's bottle immediately on the first cut, "Got That Vibe" which features King Kamonzi. I briefly felt like I had entered a harem tent, about to perform the Kama Sutra with tens of lovelies! "Metal" (with Gary Numan) employs a Kraftwerk feel in true Bambaataa collaboration style with pulsating sounds like the dance floor of today's hottest clubs. This CD jams; it's a straight-up party album, pure and simple. He even covers Manu Dibango's 1972 smash "Soul Makossa," and will "Take You Back," a forum to give shout-outs to some of the great artists of our party past. While 'looking for the perfect beat' on this new work I came across "Almighty Rah" (a perfect mix with that 1982 Arthur Baker mix, by the way), with its infectious whining synthesizer and sneaky smooth lyrics highlighted by the classic vocoder sound of that era come again. I put five check marks next to this one! Always a master at coining great party phrases, "Shake 'N' Pop Roll" showcases that talent and really gets the party started; if you sit still on this one, call the paramedics. The late Soulsonic force member Jazzy Jay is surely smiling.
You've got to remember that Afrika Bambaataa was a member of the feared New York City gang the Black Spades to further appreciate how he "Ain't Talk'in No Shhh" when he represents the Vandross lyric "we got love power, the greatest love of them all" on track ten - you'll feel like you are at a live show! He practices what he preaches by keeping the message real in "No Dope Fiends On The dance Floor." The production elements throughout "Dark Matter..." will remind you that he has collaborated with the likes of James Brown ("Pick Up On This"), DJ Red Alert, Boy George and just about the whole universe. The most radio-friendly cut is "Meet Me at the Party" which is as catchy as "More Bounce To The Ounce" by Zapp was, and short and to-the-point enough to lend itself to any of today's Urban-rhythmic-Top 40 formats.
All in all, take a cut, almost any cut, and rock da house because they are all in the pocket whether you are a club DJ or just giving a party with friends at yours. Afrika Bambaataa feels like I do about people coming together to celebrate life thru the sociology of the dance; I became a DJ over thirty years ago too! He answers his phone "peace," staying true to the big picture of respect and knowledge. Go out and grab this one while you can, family. Bigg-Upps.
