Consumer Guide Album

Ale Hop & Titi Bakorta: Mapambazuko [Nyege Nyege Tapes, 2025]
The delicate textures of this polyrhythmic collab between arty-cum-experimental Peruvian electronica gal Hop and peripatetic-cum-adventurous Congolese soukousish guitar guy Bakorta has what for me is almost an MJQ vibe, which is to worry that it's short on texture not to say body not to say blood and guts. But for just that reason it's also audacious and delightful. There's considerable sprezzatura here, light-hearted in the face of a future even grimmer than the one that's right now sticking its tongue out at you and me. A-