Congotronics Box Set Due in June

5-LP vinyl box also includes exclusive 7" single of Akron/Family collaborating with Kasai Allstars.

By Blurt Staff

Here's one for you, world beat-cum-indie rock fanatics.

The acclaimed Congotronics series gets the deluxe vinyl box treatment this summer courtesy Crammed Discs, the Belgium-based label that has been documenting the electrified traditional music of Congolese acts including Konono N°1, Staff Benda Bilili and Kasai Allstars. The limited edition, one-time-only pressing will contain all 5 Congotronics albums to date (full list below), an exclusive 7" featuring a collaboration between Kasai Allstars and US psych-rock-folk adventurers Akron/Family, plus a re-usable Congotronics USB pen drive with videos & mp3s and a specially-designed book featuring photography from Kinshasa.

Here' what you get:

- Konono No 1 Vinyl LP: Congotronics
- Congotronics 2 /"Buzz'n'Rumble From The Urb'n'Jungle" Vinyl LP (feat. five different Kinshasa bands)
- Kasai Allstars Vinyl LP: In The 7th Moon, The Chief Turned Into A Swimming Fish And Ate The Head Of His Enemy By Magic
- Staff Benda Bilili Vinyl LP: Très Très Fort
- the brand-new Konono No 1 double vinyl LP: Assume Crash Position
- a Congotronics book with exclusive photos from Kinshasa, Congo.
- a customized, re-usable 2Gb USB pen drive containing 9 videos, and mp3s (in 320 kbps) of all 5 albums.
- 7" vinyl with two exclusive tracks by Kasai Allstars, one of them featuring a collaboration with Akron/Family
 

The five albums above, including Konono No1's Assume Crash Position will also be made available to the customer for immediate download when the orders are processed on May 15th (i.e. prior to the release date of the new Konono album). Orders should be shipped out around June 30.

 
Each vinyl (180 gr) will come in an original sleeve, and an inner sleeve of a different colour, reproducing the Congotronics fabric which will be on the box (with a design resembling that of the fabrics used for dresses & robes in the Congo, based on the Congotronics logo).
 

Full details and ordering info at the Crammed Discs site, natch.