By Alex Roberts
Is there anyone more underrated among the EA House set, more consistently than Bengatronics? They have been giving Benga music its just due for years now and can be seen at music festivals across the region
It boggles the mind how often they get passed over. Anyone, who isn’t a destitute moron, who experienced the Bengatronics set (and many sets since then) at Kilifi NYE in 2016/2017 knows that they were absolutely the top of the heap.
They brought the fucking house down. I danced until my feet went numb and went into a sort of trance state- point being, Bengatronics been doing their thing; and now they have a new album that reflects just that; associating them closely with some of the top artists from the different musical spheres in Kenya- resulting in something incredibly dope and outlandishly different.
The project is called: BENGABELT VOL I: TUONGEE WAKENYA and to say that the project deserves a listen is a definite understatement. The album is named for the the so called ‘Benga Belt’ which stretches from Kilifi in the Coast region north of Mombasa all the way across the country to Kisumu- and features original tracks by some of the genres best and brightest.
It is a 10 track serving absolutely jam packed with Kenyan talent, and is one of those projects that everyone and their mother seems to be involved in; Missing Rotich, Abakisimba, Dr. Kakee: everyone featured on the record is thoroughly bringing their A game to the record, and the ambition to showcase an inter-tribal conversation shows through with aplomb; the backing musicians are more than game for the myriad of stylings they navigate and the mixes are subtly sublime, always keeping on the back foot and never leaning too heavy into the mixes.
You can give the album a listen (or even a purchase) for yourself so you don’t have to just take our word for it.
Here’s a link:
https://inirecordings.bandcamp.com/album/bengabelt-tuongee-wakenya?fbclid=IwAR0g3vllhKIOcJcm_fT3oJ4Vf5h9KTU10yoPeYp4m4BEUDpPT0KjbIxrRZI&fbclid=IwAR2ECja2id5appdkoZmF00ZgqjUcVLWyplbld7ggoFVp5jVT1_muwK-W3Xk
(As a not-so-subtle final hint: if you ever do get a chance to see Bengatronics along with the artists they feature, you’d be a fool to pass it up, they consistently put on some of the best sets in East Africa).
