Over-caffeinated Music From Other Countries

December 28, 2015 6:18 AM

What non-English-speaking bands would a fan of so-called "zolo" music enjoy? I'm looking specifically for energetic, rhythmically/melodically complex music that's still emotionally open enough to be cathartic (i.e. nothing too cerebral or insincere—math rock is out, Mr. Bungle/Ween-type bands get in their own way). Examples of what I'm looking for inside!

Instances of the sorts of thing I'm looking for include:

Cardiacs
Guernica
The Haniwa All-Stars
Kassiopeja
Early/late Sparks
Katra Turana

What similar stuff exists in other countries? I'm particularly looking for how cultures with radically different approaches to music—composition in general, or pop specifically—arrive at similar destinations.

(I like to find bands from places I'm unfamiliar with that're good enough to get me passionate about them, so I can start to explore other, different music from the same area using them as a touchstone. Luckily, "places I'm unfamiliar with" encompasses basically the world, so just about anything goes!)

posted by rorgy to Media & Arts (13 answers total)

tom ze (brazil)?
posted by andrewcooke at 6:29 AM on December 28, 2015

Are you familiar with Brazil's Tropicalia (Tropicalismo) era of the late 60s, early 70s? Tom Ze would be part of that, at least tangentially, and you should also check out era recordings of Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, etc.

Dave Byrne's Luaka Bop label has some of these artists as well as a wealth of material from other countries for you to explore. Also look into releases from Soul Jazz.
posted by Leontine at 6:45 AM on December 28, 2015

Any recommendations on where I should be exploring within this, Leontine? Looking through Tom Ze, Os Mutantes, and a couple Soul Jazz/Luaka Bop bands, and this is all pretty... laid back and unweird. Or am I missing something?
posted by rorgy at 6:56 AM on December 28, 2015

"Zolo is characterized by hyper, jerky rhythms, synthesized bleeps and boings, polka-dot percussion, chipper falsettos, zany imagery, and a Zappa-esque sense of humor."

Briefing from Sweden:

• Mats & Morgan Band – Hollmervalsen (2001) – Zappa was a big fan of these guys and played with them at one point, Mats and Morgan have been friends since they were teenagers, Mats the keyboard player is blind and Morgan is currently known as one of the best drummers in the world;
• Samla Mammas Manna (with Lars Hollmer on organ) - on TV in 1972 playing "Klossa Knapitatet" (a riff on "krossa kapitalet" meaning "crush capital," something like "clush the cnapital," these guys were ironic and weird in an era of earnest folk, vaguely associated with Rock in Opposition;
• and I have to throw in this video of Mats & Morgan playing with Mr. Hollmer (on accordion) on a 2008 Finland cruise ship;
• then there's Fläsket Brinner – Grismakt which builds slowly into something very awesome (name roughly "Burning Pork – Pig Power"), and also their more immediately kickass tune Klotet (live, rough quality, name means "The Sphere");
• probably Hansson & Karlsson deserve a spot too, a jazz-rocky organ & drums duo, Jimi Hendrix's "Tax Free" is a cover of their song, organist Hansson went on to write amazing solo organ music while Karlsson became a well-known comedic actor;
• bonus Norwegians, Panzerpappa – Ellipsoidisk Karusell (2004);
• Kebnekajse – Skänklåt från Rättvik (1973), named after Sweden's tallest mountain, these guys combined traditional folk music with groovy distorted rock (sometimes more opium than caffeine);
• finally a more recent offering from Mats/Morgan Band (they are quite varied so I recommend just clicking around on YouTube).

posted by mbrock at 7:03 AM on December 28, 2015

Os Mutantes are plenty weird. Their name means "The Mutants" after all. Tropicalia however is still tuneful and has a groove. Maybe it's not what you're looking for? Check out these tracks:

Bat Macumba - Os Mutantes
Marginalia II - Gilberto Gil
Tropicalia - Caetano Veloso
posted by Leontine at 7:16 AM on December 28, 2015

This is probably not in the orbit you specified, but check out Leventikos by Brass Menazeri. It's definitely caffeinated and complex.
posted by under_petticoat_rule at 7:17 AM on December 28, 2015

Konono No. 1
posted by moonmilk at 8:02 AM on December 28, 2015

Well, it's not a band, but:

Check out DJ Zhao's mix From Juju to Juke. It explores connections between African music like Nigerian juju (maybe not weird enough for you?) and ghettotech-derived dance music like juke/footwork (maybe not cathartic or emotional enough for you). But I think the mix might hit your sweet spot.
posted by BrunoLatourFanclub at 8:15 AM on December 28, 2015

Not quite what you're looking for, but search around through pop music from Madagascar. I like Lola (his song "Analakely" is probably the most high energy one). Searching on YouTube for "Madagascar pop" there's a bunch to look thorugh like this mix someone made of top 2015 pop. Vady Tsy Atao Aroe by Antoinette might work for you.
posted by Bunglegirl at 9:08 AM on December 28, 2015

17 Hippies - Geamparalele
Susie Ibarra- Drum Sketch No.3
Laddio Bolocko- Goat Lips
Moon Hooch - EWI (Number 9, Take the L Train etc).
Swami John Reis & The Blind Shake - Sea Saw
YONA KIT- Hi Ka Ri
Grand Ulena- Total Joplin
Lone- Lying in the Reeds
Bill Nelson- When Your Dream of Perfect Beauty Comes True

Realizing late that none be Zolo but feeling over-caffeinated....energetic, rhythmically/melodically complex music that's still emotionally open enough to be cathartic. I immediately thought of frantic Balkan/Klezmer/Gypsy style music.
posted by abhardcastle at 2:10 PM on December 28, 2015

I don't have an exact fix on what you're looking for, but here's 5 bands from here in China that have some of the elements you mention. They're all kinda 'dark', though, more than cheery:

Deadly Cradle Death
Snapline
New Pants - their older stuff might work better.
South Acid Mimi Dance Crew
AV Okubo
posted by beijingbrown at 1:19 AM on December 29, 2015

Jorge Ben (Brasil)

A lot of Japanese music:
Polysics (basically the Japanese Devo)
Mac Donald Duck Eclair
Plus-Tech Squeeze Box
Shiina Ringo
Pizzicato Five

and maybe the Swedish band Goat
posted by Gortuk at 7:09 AM on December 29, 2015

I'm looking specifically for energetic, rhythmically/melodically complex music that's still emotionally open enough to be cathartic

My friend, you are looking for Bulgarian wedding music. Start with Ivo Papasov.

In a more rock vein, I bet you already know of Jono El Grande, but if you don't, well, there he is.
posted by dfan at 12:23 PM on December 29, 2015