NYATI MAYI & THE ASTRAL SYNTH TRANSMITTERS Lulanga Tales LP

Bongo Joe Records follow the debut album from Nyati Mayi & The Astral Synth Transmitters. Nyati Mayi, a Belgo-Congolese multi-instrumentalist, singer and improv dancer has joined up with DJ & producer Sofa Elsewhere.

Two travelers, in the eclectic and evolving musical underground in Brussels, their paths having crossed over many years, finally seal the deal and record a deep, emotional, jazztronic Afro-bomb of an LP that has no respect for genre limits and mines the crannies of both players’ musical taste. The name might suggest a bigger ensemble, but Nyati Mayi & The Astral Synth Transmitters are currently duo Nyati Mayi & soFa elsewhere who weave the electronic and acoustic yet with a stark rhythmic punch, rendering heartbreaking vocals (sung in no specific language) across six delicious tracks.

Nyati Mayi is a long-term resident of the Belgian capital with heritage in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He provides the powerful vocals on Lulanga Tales, as well as the harp-like instrument referenced in its title. A lulanga is a stringed member of the zither family with a rectangular, shallow-troughed body, native to the DRC. Nyati was gifted his lulanga on a visit to Nyangezi, his mother’s village and it’s now a pretty important part of his musical philosophy.

On the production side of Lulanga Tales, the Astral Synth Transmitter himself is renowned cratedigger, compiler and taste expander soFa, best known as soFa elsewhere. A Brussels face himself since the late 90s, soFa elsewhere had preferred not to produce his own music until fairly recently. Following projects like CCCVVV’s Balearic dreaminess and Mameen 3, electro-boogie whisked to Morocco via co-producer Cheb Runner, soFa elsewhere started recording with Nyati Mayi with each party pushing the other further ‘out’ than they’d been before

1. Elderflower 06:36
2. Cry Woman 05:20
3. Jungle Dwarf 06:46
4. Lulanga Tale 06:31
5. Try Sunshine 04:54
6. Heart & Beatroot 04:50