Abri Cyclonique

For the last five decades, Polobi, from Guadeloupe has been drumming and singing gwo ka music in the Caribbean island's tropical forest. Gwo ka is a form of music and dance that is deeply rooted in the community of Guadeloupe and Martinique, in the Lesser Antilles. Now, a collection of Polobi's trance-like songs in the native Creole language have been recorded and fused with electronic instrumentation by producer Liam Farrell (aka Doctor L). The end result is this highly original album of immersive, not to say spaced-out, music. Polobi's vocals are rough and raw; the chanting and choral responding are sometimes as dizzying and overwhelming as a virtual audio hall of mirrors. Into the mix go trilling crickets, echoing synths, heart-pounding percussion and an impassioned chanting chorus. It would be fair to say that this is not an easy listening experience.

But if you’re looking for something authentic and verging on the transcendental, give it a try. And if you’re curious to hear what Polobi sounds like without all the electronic production mix, ‘Nèg Africa’ offers a more stripped-down sample, while ‘Okipayason’ is more light-hearted, with a buoyant off-beat.