MSR002 Dem Juju Poets

Dem Juju Poets – Barabara (msr002)

After releasing the first single Voodoo Jazz end of 2016 the journey of Dem Juju Poets keeps on with Barabara, the first single taken off their forthcoming album Liberated Thoughts out due early 2017 on Matasuna Records.

David Hanke aka Renegades Of Jazz, brainchild behind Dem Juju Poets, keeps on with his distinctive Afro sound and delivers a great 45 in various styles. As the Renegades Of Jazz journey will take a step away from Afrofunk music, Dem Juju Poets will be now the main outfit for Hanke to release more Afro driven music in the future.

Barabara is a heavy piece of dancefloor Afrojazz goodness, decent horn sections, tough drums and rich percussions combined with vintage vocals. People’s Republic is a organ and flute driven Afrosoul tune with a heavy brass riff, thriving percussions and flute solos galore.

Reviews:

It should be clear by now that the man behind Renegades Of Jazz, a.k.a. David Hanke is far from being one to limit himself generically. There’s all the Mash & Munkee b-boy breaks for example, the ‘northern jazz’ sound of initial Renegades Of Jazz drops, the subsequent atmospheric blues-tinged breakbeats of the Paradise Lost LP and more recently the afro-funk of LP Moyo Wangu. For Barabara we’re staying with the afro-theme but switching production hats (or perhaps more appropriate ceremonial trappings) to the Dem Juju Poets – henceforth Hanke’s primary outlet for his afro-funk. Expect a brace of driving breakbeat rhythms ritually daubed in horns and chanting (the A-side) and summoning the combined power of woodwind and brass on the flip. An album, Liberated Thoughts, follows in the new year. – monkeyboxing

Today’s goodness comes courtesy of Davd Hanke from Renegades of Jazz who has a new side project called Dem JuJu Poets. This project will feature heavy dance floor jazz and afro soul on this exciting double sider of a 7″. The Agogo Records artist will be releasing this side on Matasuna Records, and it’s the first single off the forth coming long player Liberated Thoughts. If this is any indication how the full length is going to be, we are all in for some delightful African sounds here people. Forward moving to keep feet moving, “Barabara” is a horn driven side also propelled by vintage vocals and some tough as nails drums that will get the mood up in a snap of a finger. We are definitely excited by a late year end release like this (even if it’s early in the year!), good music is good music. The flip, “People’s Republic” is a heavy organ side that is just as funky as the A, but with more flute and horns. It’s a dope track, and while it’s definitely a double hitter 45, we are leaning towards this side as our fave (if we had to pick). You have a listen for yourself below and decide. Dem JuJu Poets are making authentic African music and shaking asses on dance floors all over the world. Get out there and move. – FleaMarketFunk

Es ist weiterhin erfreulich zu beobachten mit welcher Euphorie kleine Labels entstehen, die sich auf auf Vinyl-Only-Veröffentlichung fokussieren. Die Flackschiffe wie BGP oder Jazzman als Vorbilder zu haben, mag keine schlechter Weg zu sein – jedoch schreit die Welt gerade jetzt im 45-Fieber nach neue, kreative und innovativen Imprints. Matasuna Records ist definitiv so ein Label und konnte sich in kürzester Zeit in die Herzen der Fans und Kritiker schießen. Das zweite Release ist ein weiteres Highlight. Der Wahl-Schweizer SoulBrigada und der Wahl-Berliner Voodoocuts packen unbekannte Grooves zwischen Funk, Afro, Jazz und Latin aus – damit sie diese dann mit ihren eigenen Edits für die Tanzfläche aufwerten. Hinter Dem Juju Poets steht der umtriebige David Henke, der mit seinem Alter Ego Renegades of Jazz weltweit seit Jahren für musikalische Openminded-Strömungen steht. Bereits auf seinem letzten Album hat er die Marschrichtung Afrofunk angebahnt. So gibt es hier zwei unfassbar vom Bass getriebene und von Flöten geschwängerte Afrostomper, bei denen beide förmlich nach der Tanzfläche flehen. – 1Beat

David Hanke has only just started releasing music under the Dem Juju Poets moniker, and already he’s managed to instil a very clear direction in terms of sound aesthetic and creative direction. This new two-tracker for the emergent Matasuna label is full of joie de vivre, with the opening tune „Barabara“ managing to blend the best elements of funk, high-life, afrobeat, and generally coming up with a tune that’s just so damn easy to dance to. „People’s Republic“, the flipside track, is a horn-led groover, another slice of worldly funk back by a bumpy, positive tribalistic tone that we instantly associate to the dance floor. Excellent stuff – let’s keep it coming! – junorecords