Antibalas Security

Antibalas has been carrying on the afrobeat flag for upwards of 10 years now. Afrobeat, for the uninitiated, is a heavily rhythmic, repetitive, politicized music made internationally popular by Nigeria's Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Fela's complex life was inextricable connected to his music and he infuriated various Nigerian governments with his lyrics and ability to unite the Nigerian people in opposition to corruption. Everything Kuti did was a fierce cry against injustice and political corruption, and his lyrics are still some of the most direct indictments of politicians ever heard in music.

The music of Antibalas, a democratic afrobeat orchestra, is an extension of Fela's legacy, and it is impossible to talk of Antibalas without mentioning him. Fela, along with strong input from drummer Tony Allen, almost single-handedly developed a musical genre. Antibalas has fine-tuned this genre and taken it into the 21st century.

Security is Antibalas' fourth album, and it brings the same taste of anti-authoritarianism to the musical table. Produced by Tortoise's John McEntire, the LP kicks off with the sparse, metallic percussion of Beaten Metal, a dark, tense opening track. It then delves into music with afrobeat at the core of the rest of the tracks. Sharp guitars and a rigid, seductive rhythm section set the tone for the brass instruments to play over top. Each of the 12 members is given a chance to showcase, including the trombone player, the trumpeter, the organist, and the sax players. The arrangements are incredible tight and thought-out, and this leads to new developments in the Antibalas sound. The organ on I.C.E. mellows things out, Sanctuary's reggae pulses with life, and funk and hip-hop elements come to the fore. About half of the songs are instrumental, but when there are vocals, they use Fela's legacy as a springboard for content. The anti-authoritarian, pro-justice words hit hard.

But Antibalas' forte is in the live setting, where masses of people sway and dance to the nu-afrobeat sound. The audience, the message, and the music are all integrated into a encouraging whole. The killer rhythms heard on Security will no doubt light up on a bigger stage. Political change seems feasible in these situations, and although Antibalas at this point are but a band on the touring circuit, what they bring to the entertainment realm is something important and vitally different than so much of the pointless s*** out there.