Today, Moctar Moctar have announced Afrique Refait, a remix collection of songs from Afrique Victime. The tracklist features sound-makers at the vanguard of electronic music in Africa, with a view of highlighting different scenes across the continent. Many of the artists are associated with pioneering Ugandan label Nyege Nyege Tapes who were vital to the making of the project. Moctar’s UK tour started last night with a sold-out show at EartH in London, England.

Producer and bassist Mikey Coltun says:

Jay Mitta who remixed “Chismiten” is one of the pioneers of the Singeli scene in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Like most of the artists picked for these remixes, he is pushing the boundaries of folk music beyond what it started as to something new and untried while
remaining true to his roots. When the Nyge Nyege Tapes mixtape came out it was powerful and we got in touch with the label and asked about Jay doing a remix. Tommy T who remixed “Ya Habibti” is a producer from Ethiopia who lives in DC and I knew from growing up in the DC music scene. We thought he’d do something different from the other remixers and he took a more traditional approach.

MC Yallah is one of my favourite MC/rappers right now. Here she is paired with producer Debmaster to create a powerful in your face remix of the love ballad “Tala Tannam.”

Duma is the duo of Lord Spike Heart and Sam Karugu from the grindcore scene in Kenya. It’s some of the most interesting and sonically innovative music coming out of Africa: noise and grindcore with a mix of Kenyan roots and Ugandan music. Their video
for (2020 single) “Lions Blood” was super powerful and in your face, and we wanted to work with them. Yugen Blakrock was recommended to me through a friend I met in Mali years back from South Africa. I was told “Yugen is an MC, but she works with great producers and
would be amazing!” This is one of my favorites in the series!

Aya Metwalli who remixed “Layla” is originally from Egypt and is now part of the Lebanese noise scene that should definitely be checked out by more people. There’s an amazing experimental and noise scene in Egypt, Lebanon, Tunisia, Palestine. I got to know Aya Metwalli through people in the Beirut noise community where they’re a small but tight-knit and collaborative scene. We knew she would kill it on this remix.”

DJ Diaki is one of the pioneers of Balani music scene in Mali. Balani is a house party that started in the capital Bamako and moved to the outskirts. They bring a soundsystem and blast music loud and people dance, going back to traditional Malian folk parties. I attended one of these parties in Mali in 2012 and was sent some Balani music on my cellphone. There’s a great shop in Bamako called Mali Retro that originally sold cassettes. Nowadays you tell them what you want and they throw it on a flash disc. In 2016 I was given a combination of traditional Balani phone music and newer electronic stuff. The four remixes of “Afrique Victime” focus on different elements of the song separately: bass, guitar, guitar II and vocals.

Rey Sapienz, MC Dougis, Kabeaushe and Chrisman are all artists I was previously unaware of before working on this project. These artists were presented by the amazing Nyege Nyege Tapes label and were all essential in completing the Afrique Victime Remix project. While a lot of the artists previously chosen came from either East, West or North Africa, Rey Sapienz, MC Dougis and Chrisman showcase all the cool shit coming out of Central Africa – The Congo.

Mdou Moctar
Afrique Refait
tracklist
Matador Records

1. Chismiten (Jay Mitta Remix) – Tanzania
2. Taliat (Rey Sapienz Remix) ft MC Dougis – Congo
3. Ya Habibti (Tommy T Remix) – Ethiopia
4. Tala Tannam (Debmaster Remix) ft MC Yallah – Kenya/Uganda
5. Untitled (Duma Remix) – Kenya
6. Asdikte Akal (Yugen Blakrock Remix) ft Kanif The Jhatmaster – South Africa
7. Layla (Aya Metwalli Remix) – Egypt
8. Afrique Victime (Kabeaushé Remix) – Kenya
9. Bismilahi Atagah (Chrisman Remix) – Congo
10. Chismiten (DJ Diaki Rhythm Remix) – Mali
11. Chismiten (DJ Diaki Bass Remix) – Mali
12. Chismiten (DJ Diaki Guitar Remix) – Mali
13. Chismiten (DJ Diaki Vocal Remix) – Mali

Mdou Moctar 2022 Tour Dates:

Thursday, April 14 – London, EartH (SOLD OUT)
Friday, April 15 – Roubaix, Le Caive au Poets S
aturday, April 16 – Paris, Le Hasard Udique (SOLD OUT)
Sunday, April 17 – Nijmegen, Doornroosje (SOLD OUT)
Monday, April 18 – Hamburg, Molotow
Tuesday, April 19 – Copenhagen, Alice (SOLD OUT)
Wednesday, April 20 – Gothenburg, Nefertiti (SOLD OUT)
Thursday, April 21 – Oslo, Blaa
Friday, April 22 – Stockholm, Fasching (SOLD OUT)
Saturday, April 23 – Malmo, Plan B
Sunday, April 24 – Berlin, Frannz Club
Monday, April 25 – Leipzig, UT Conneweitz
Tuesday, April 26 – Prague, Meetfactory
Wednesday, April 27 – Linz, Kapu
Thursday, April 28 – Zurich, Rote Fabrik
Friday, April 29 – Mannheim, Alte Feuerwache
Saturday, April 30 – Alte, Out Of The Crowd Fest
Sunday, May 01 – Ostende, De Poste
Thursday, July 14 – Pori, Pori Jazz
Saturday, July 16 – Bank, Bankito Festival
Friday, July 22 – Southwold, Latitude Festival
Saturday, Aug 06 – Katowice, OFF Festival
Wednesday, Aug 10 – Oslo, Øyafestivalen
Saturday, Aug 13 – Ancora, SonicBlast Festival
Friday, Aug 19 – Powys, Greenman Festival
Saturday, Aug 20 – Hasselt, Pukkelpop
Friday, Aug 26 – Port Townsend, Thing Festival
Saturday, Aug 27 -Pasadena, Ain’t No Picnic Festival

Order Afrique Refait by Mdou Moctar HERE