The Very Best - MTMTMK
- Written by David Atkinson
In 2008 the production team of Etienne Tron and Johan Karlberg, also known as Radioclit, requisitioned the Malawian owner of their local junk shop in London to sing on their latest mixtape project. Fast Forward to the end of 2009 and that very same mixtape, Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are The Very Best, had incredibly been downloaded nearly 1 million times. 2009 also saw the release of their critically acclaimed debut album Warm Heart of Africa which found itself on many prestigious 'Albums of the Year' lists. On July 16th this year The Very Best will release their highly anticipated sophomore album MTMTMK.
The first big change with MTMTMK is the locational shift of the recording process, from Johan's home in London, to singer Esau Mwamwaya’s home in Lilongwe, Malawi. In part no doubt an attempt to create a more cohesive recording process, but in reality a move of sheer necessity - Esau's Visa issues have meant that he is stranded in Malawi. Johan claims that the whole process has evolved greatly “This time we wrote, produced and recorded together simultaneously — the way it should be done" and certainly the tracks on MTMTMK do sound less like Esau is simply singing on top of pre fabricated beats.
On surveying the track listing the other immediately noticeable change is the staggering number of guest appearances in comparison to their debut. Warm Heart of Africa simply featured Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig and M.I.A. In stark contrast MTMTMK features Amadou and Miriam, Baaba Mal, K’NAAN, Bruno Mars, Taio Cruz, J-Wow (Buraka Som Sistema), Seye Adelekan, Winston Marshall (Mumford & Sons), MNEK, Moroka and Moment Laudi. Rather than be lost amongt this sea of guests, it's always Esau's voice and rambunctious personality that shines through singing in Chichewa, English, and other languages, and when we can't understand his lyrics what remains only enhances the vitality of the vocals.
If there is one critisism that this album is likely to recieve from musical purists it will be that it bastardises many African genres and does not do them justice. It simply borrows them and cuts and pastes them as needed into what is essentially a generic pop framework. We can hear older influences like Highlife and newer influences like Kwaito, but never in their pure form. However The Very Best’s music is not and has never been an attempt at authenticity, rather it uses a brand of truly vibrant pop music to bring some of Africa's glorious musical heritage to a mainstream and global audience.
The sound of the album is far dancier than previous work but also contains less of the surprises that earlier work held. At times during the album one can almost feel like they are listening to a current top 40 with tunes that could be compared to the prolific Will.i.Am or hip-pop favourite Akon ('We Ok feat. K'Naan' is a dead ringer). That isn't to say the album is lacking in strong tracks - some of their best work is on this album ('Yoshua Alikuti' is a standout), and the album as a whole offers a far more varied spectrum of styles than before. The authenticity of Esau's vocals, electric moments of Afro-pop guitar and traditional African vocals inject the album with a reality that these other artists just can't capture. Perhaps Esau being stuck in Malawi and not being able to get to a glossy studio in a major city was a blessing and the antidote to the album becoming entirely too polished and sugary sweet.
Many The Very Best fans have been waiting a long time for this album and some may find themselves feeling a little dissapointed but it would be impossible to deny how fun and instantly listenable it is. You will swear you have heard some of these songs before and you can be damn sure that when the sun is shining this summer MTMTMK will have people dancing with a smile on their face.