Kila Mara

Alai K’s debut album is a potent mix of percussive practice from his native Kenya melded with the driving dance floor spirit of Berlin’s infamous club districts. Alai K moved to the German capital three years ago and began working on a project that reflected his heritage, without losing sight of the functional and liberatory capacity of dance music in a live space. Flanked by fellow compatriot Izo Anyanga – who lives in Hamburg – Alai K has created a project that is incessant, brooding and eminently danceable.

Opener ‘Kinyago’ captures this dialogue. Layers of percussion build, alongside a looped reed line. Alai K’s voice begins to shine, before irascible square waves take hold and dominate the sonic canvas. It’s a purposeful cacophony, with unrelenting momentum. ‘Watu’ (Swahili for ‘People’) is similarly remarkable. Emerging from muted textures and a sole shaker line, its modest beginnings open out into ferocious interlocking drum patterns, and defiant vocal recitations. While the energy barely lets up across Kila Mara, there are more melodic moments: Alai K’s voice soars on ‘Ishakua Tabu’; joy permeates ‘Cheza Imba Ruka’. Nonetheless, it’s a bracing listen, adding fresh ideas, verve and vitality to a vibrant field of electronic practice that refuses to sit still.