A group grounded in an electric fusion of alternative guitar rock and kuduro – the up-tempo dance music of Angola - Throes + The Shine release their third studio album, ‘Wanga’ - produced by Moullinex!
Hailing from both Porto and Luanda, the quintet’s inspirations now span a multitude of genres and cultures, ranging from Africa and Europe to South America and the States, to create a fully organic mash-up of energetic sound. With support already strong from Vice and LesInRocks, SPIN recently premiered the band’s collaboration with German producer Daniel Haaksman on his new album cut ‘Xinguila’. In Haaksman’s own words; “To me, Throes + The Shine are like Bad Brains reborn, but this time with an emphasis on Kuduro, not reggae”.
‘Wanga’ – which translates as ‘spell’ in kimbundo; an Angolan dialect spoken mostly by the elderly – is, as its title suggests, a collection of bewitching tracks conceived to make listeners move. Album opener and lead single ‘Capuca’ features Congo-born, Canadian-based artist Pierre Kwenders, who lends the track his powerful vocals in the fierce Angolan kuduro style. Blended with melodies derived from Western electro-pop and infectious Congolese chanting, it also features driving rhythms inspired by Colombia’s cumbia dance scene.
The LP transitions effortlessly between diverse soundworlds throughout; such as from the exotic melodies and dark, fuzzy bass of ‘Tá a Bater’ to the buoyant steel pan sounds of ‘Guerreros’, which features vocals from The Fader-approved Buenos Aires artist La Yegros, to the pan-pipe inflected, almost game console blips of ‘Ndele’.
Meanwhile, fellow Discotexas signee Da Chick injects Gwen Stefani-style attitude to the scuzzy guitar riffs of ‘Keep It In’, and Colombian tropical psych group Meridian Brothers feauture on the Santana-esque vibes of ‘Quentura’.
Embodying both adventure and vitality, the collective use every ounce of their creativity to build something unique; most evident in their unmissable live energy.