Z’amalgame

In name, Z’amalgame suggests a coming-together, a melding of components and forces into a new, fortified whole. This Réunionese album, first released in 2004, is aptly titled. Here, the Force Indigène collective bring together poetry and slam-style rap, hip-hop beats, scratching, electronic and live instruments, for a meeting of sonic worlds that emerges as its own. Sounds from La Réunion and its maloya genre are rooted within, via Creole-language lyrics, percussive nods and the use of traditional instruments. Accordingly, the record opens with the sound of the bobre (struck musical bow). This is underscored by swirling electronics, joined by the storytelling voice of poet Francky Lauret and a beat that drops to form a satisfying whole. Throughout, Force Indigène traverse diverse sonic spaces, incorporating sounds ranging from squelchy synth bass to jazz-inspired melody, impassioned Creole narrative to bouncy dub poetry, to kalimba and its trail of reverb. The record uses space beautifully, allowing breath between lines, movement between speakers, and depth that emerges from a combination of growling bass and floating flecks of ethereal sonic dust. Through diversity, Z’amalgame remains cohesive, overseen by composer-producer and electro-maloya specialist Jako Maron. Twenty years after its conception, Z’amalgame still presents a unique, sonic universe; if you missed the invitation to enter the first time around, now’s your chance to finally explore.