Radio Niger

This not the typical Songlines album – for one thing there’s no listing of some of the often brilliant artists on this CD. Instead it’s a fairly random selection recorded from Radio Niger, a station set up in 1958 when the country was on the cusp of independence from France. You are essentially asked to hear this as some kind of art piece, or as they call it, a collection of ‘avant-collage cut-ups.’ Just dive into that ocean of sound, and watch out for sharks. It’s improbable the artists will see any royalties, which makes you feel uncomfortable – even

if it’s highly unlikely to be a hit. There is something intriguing about the lack of any sense of artistic preference.

Bits of techno, flashes of harp-like kora, excerpts from the Qur’an, dodgy Nigerian Autotune-ridden pop and desert guitar blues are all thrown in alongside and often on top of announcements, interviews, comedy skits and shout-outs to girlfriends and family members. We hear several languages - French, both with Niger and Parisian accents, assorted African tongues and the odd snatch of BBC English. There’s something a bit gap year about the idea - keen students trying to impress their mates with global adventures and sounds, but with no context. Still, as listening experiences go, I would rather like to hear this as a background soundtrack in my local Tesco.