Mixanthrope

30/12/2020

🎶 💙 Special Quarantine Mix for the wonderful Monarch Berlin, the birthplace of African Beats & Pieces! 💙 🎶

Jetzt online: Monarch Quarantine Podcast 011 von Mixanthrope who is also known as "The Father of African Beats & Pieces"

https://soundcloud.com/kottimonarch/monarch-quarantine-podcast-011-mixanthrope

"As winter settles in and the walls seem to edge closer, music soothes the curfewed soul and provides salutary escapism through the fourth wall. Here are 25 barely edited and hand-picked songs, 98% of them from the African continent.

After working for Akwaaba Music in Ghana, French-born & Berlin-based Boris Paillard a.k.a. Mixanthrope has been curating the event series "African Beats & Pieces" in Monarch since 2017, inviting passionate DJs and underground live acts to explore specific musical themes." - Mixanthrope

21/12/2020

Sweet But Sour · When African Pop Gets Political

🚨 NOUVEAU MIX THÉMATIQUE ! 🚨

"Douce Mais Amère · Quand La Pop Africaine Se Politise" ✊🎶

Ouaip, 2020 fut évidemment une année sombre. Non seulement une pandémie mondiale a cadenassé la planète, mais des musiciens furent à nouveau harcelés, arrêtés et assassinés pour avoir osé mettre les puissants face à la vérité.

De nombreuses stars africaines de la pop sont concernées: le chanteur engagé devenu politicien ougandais Bobi Wine (ici en couverture) fut maintes fois persécuté et emprisonné, le chanteur et militant rwandais Kizito Mihigo mourut mystérieusement dans une cellule de police, la légende de R.D.C. Tshala Muana passa une nuit en prison pour une chanson supposément insultante envers le président, le chanteur éthiopien Hachalu Hundessa fut assassiné pour ses prises de positions engagées… pour n’en nommer que quelques uns.

Ce mix s’efforce de présenter un large éventail de chansons se trouvant à l’intersection de la pop et de la politique, résultant de mois de quêtes autant dans les labyrinthes YouTubesques que dans les articles journalistiques et thèses académiques sur le sujet.

Pendant une heure, ce mix s’attarde autant sur les chansons de protestation que sur les chansons de louanges aux leaders, totalisant 20 titres issus de 15 pays. Allant de l’étrange jusqu’à l’extraordinaire, sonnant doux et amer à la fois, ces hymnes autotunés sont preuve des talents de ces artistes pop contemporains qui rentrent dans l’arène politique pour y lever le poing… ou encaisser le chèque d’un politicien.

Vous trouverez une setlist timecodée et plus d’informations (en anglais) sur le mix sur Soundcloud.

Ecoutez fort, partagez vite! ✊🎶
Mixanthrope (African Beats & Pieces)

“Musicians have a genuine connection with the people and that is what scares the elites.” — Pilato, Zambian activist and artist. African musicians have long played political roles, either praising or

16/12/2020

Sweet But Sour · When African Pop Gets Political

🚨 NEW THEMATIC MIX ALERT! 🚨
"Sweet But Sour · When African Pop Gets Political" ✊ 🎶

Yep, 2020 was obviously a horrendous year. Not only was there a global pandemic, musicians have once again been harrassed, arrested and murdered for speaking truth to power. African popstars were among them: Ugandan popstar turned politician Bobi Wine (here on the cover) was repeatedly harrassed and jailed, Rwandan activist and singer Kizito Mihigo died in a police cell, R.D.C. singer Tshala Muana was detained, Ethiopian Oromo singer Hachalu Hundessa was murdered... to name only a few.

The result of searching through YouTube labyrinths, journalism articles and academic papers, this mix aims at showing a broad spectrum of songs at the intersection of pop and politics.

The hour-long selection features both cringe-inducing praise songs and catchy protest songs, totalling more than 20 tracks from 15 countries. Ranging from odd to awesome, sounding often sweet but sour at the same time, these autotuned anthems showcase the talents of pop artists who step up in the political arena to take a strong stance… or a paycheck from a politician. You will find a timecoded setlist & more background info in the mix's description on Soundcloud.

Check it out, crank it up, share it away!
✊ 🎶 ✊ 🎶 ✊ 🎶

“Musicians have a genuine connection with the people and that is what scares the elites.” — Pilato, Zambian activist and artist. African musicians have long played political roles, either praising or

24/11/2020

Breaking The Fourth Wall · Lockdown Lullabies

🚨 New Mix Alert! 🚨
"Breaking The Fourth Wall · Lockdown Lullabies" 🎶♥️

As winter settles in and screens seem to edge closer to our skins, music soothes the curfewed soul and provides a salutary escapism through the fourth wall. Here are 25 barely edited and hand-picked songs, 98% of them from the African continent.

Enjoy on your domestic dancefloors!
Musical greetings,
Boris/Mixanthrope (African Beats & Pieces)

Ps: Big up to music-loving fellow DJs Jimmy Trash ("Vandredi San") and Morgan Greenstreet ("Live Television") for turning me on to some of these gems! 👌

As winter settles in and the walls seem to edge closer, music soothes the curfewed soul and provides a salutary escapism through the fourth wall. Here are 25 barely edited and hand-picked songs, 98% o

01/10/2020

"World Music" Sucks

🚨 New Mix Alert! 🚨
"World music" sucks! 🌍🎶♥️

As most Global North music labels pick what they deem worthy of releasing or re-issuing for their niche market with the arrogance of gatekeepers, musicians continue to create and perform locally for those around them, sometimes to connect solely… with those around them! There is indeed a world of music beyond branded content and ad-articles disguised as music journalism reporting on the latest exotic trends. One can easily skip these useless middle-men and listen to what music-makers have to say for themselves.

Here is a collection of amazing under-the-radar music from 15 different African countries. Some of them shine in all their compressed auto-tuned glory and most only live within faulty mp3 files full of digital glitches due to shoddy conversions from YouTube.

This is just a tiny taste of the yummiest audio pie the Internet has to offer. It lays all within one's reach, a couple of curious clicks away. Better start exploring now, before they vanish into the digital ether!

*** The cover image is highly offensive but has been purposefully chosen to underline the statement “‘World Music’ Sucks“ because it so succinctly depicts too many white people‘s perception of African people. Please read the mix's description for more context about the image's use. ***

As the world evolves, so must language. Outdated, lazy and offensive, the term “World Music” can now retire. Since the mid-eighties, it has fulfilled its post-colonial mission: facilitating the sale o

27/06/2020

Afropop Worldwide | DJ Mixanthrope Returns With An All-Equatorial Guinea Mix

Thanks to Afropop Worldwide for the write-up about my latest mix, which has been reposted in Réseau ZoneFranche's newsletter! 🙏🎶🔥

"Dig in deep with a country that's often overlooked: Equatorial Guinea. Our good friend DJ Mixanthrope dug deep for an hour of straight bangers.
(...)
Equatorial Guinea is known for having an oil boom and all of the downsides that come with that—a concentration of wealth at the top and an oppressive government with a tight grip on media outlets in the country. Culture is underfunded and little of it reaches us here in the U.S., which is why we're all the more grateful for this rollicking hour-long mix from DJ Mixanthrope."

The longer I work at Afropop, I feel my mental map of the world becoming increasingly detailed. Like until a few weeks ago, when I thought about Botswana, I thought about elephants—now I think about heavy metal.

22/06/2020

Unheard Of, Vol. 1 · Equatorial Guinea

Dear African music lovers,

First and foremost, I'd like to add my — even small — voice to the choir of rightfully angry, frustrated and inspiring people who have taken the necessary "Black Lives Matter" statement to the streets since the horrific murder of George Floyd. Now is a time to not only listen and learn about state-sanctioned violence and anti-Black racism but also demand and engage oneself for concrete change.

As a white man passionate about African music, I still have a long way to go to educate myself about marginalized and targeted communities so that my platform African Beats & Pieces can amplify the songs, sounds and stories of African and Afro-diasporic music-makers who rarely get a seat at the table. Music has long proven its power to bridge gaps between worlds that never have an opportunity to connect, bringing understanding and respect where there was once only ignorance and contempt. This is one of the good places to start.

In the spirit of listening and learning, I'm releasing the inaugural mix of “Unheard Of”, a mix series focusing on African countries that the world seldom hears from and listens to. The selection is mostly composed of songs that haven’t been commercially released and float around in precarious and ephemeral online libraries.

This first hip-deep dive focuses on Equatorial Guinea. Even without the support of an authoritarian government led by a four-decade long dictator, the diverse community of Equatorial Guinean musicians has never ceased to create and impress. This mix attempts to shed a light on their lesser known songbook. 🇬🇶🎶🕺

Hope you enjoy, please share if you do!
Boris/Mixanthrope (African Beats & Pieces)

“Unheard Of” is a mix series focusing on African countries that the world seldom hears from and listens to. The selection is mostly composed of songs that haven’t been commercially released and float

17/03/2020

African Beats & Pieces • Valentine's Special, February 2020 (Mixanthrope Live Mix)

🚨 LIVE MIX ALERT! 🚨

We need highly danceable love songs now more than ever, which is why I'm happy to share an extract from my live mix at African Beats & Pieces' latest "Valentine's Special" party in Monarch Berlin!

Crank it up at home and dance the quarantine away! 🎶😍
We'll be back soon with more Afro-centric events & music! 😉

Elbow bumps & air hugs,
Boris/Mixanthrope (African Beats & Pieces)

Live mix by DJ Mixanthrope - captured during "Valentine's Special: Africa's Danciest Love Songs (1960-2020)" on February 13th, 2020, at Monarch in Berlin, as part of the monthly "African Beats & Piece

11/03/2020

djolo.net

Wow! Un grand merci à djolo.net pour l'article enthousiaste et le partage de mon mix de Zouk africain! 😍🎶🙏

Dans une sélecta résolument afro zouk le Mixanthrope verse un peu de lait de coco dans son art, frotte ses platines de piment, et arrose ses skeuds d'une lichette de rhum planteur !!
http://djolo.net/afro-zouk-quand-mixanthrope-met-zouk-africain-honneur/

04/03/2020

Afro Zouk • Homages Across Oceans

🚨 NEW MIX ALERT! 🚨

Overwhelmed by a sudden craving for sultry synths and glossy snares, I went deep into the African side of Zouk and came up with an hour-long selection of 20 songs from 8 different countries. 🌍😍

Zouk?! Some call it utterly cheesy, others find it sweet as honey… well, different food metaphors for different tastes I guess! 😉🧀🍯

80's & 90's Zouk might sound dated or tacky at first, but if you let these catchy melodies sink in for a minute... if you just let that contagious beat run up from your knees to your shoulders…you will know it was all worth it! 🕺💃

Though the mixtape quotes a few unavoidable hits still filling up dancefloors as I write, it strives to explore a wider spectrum of what African Zouk is... or what it can be! Mandingue Zouk? Cabo Zouk? Zoukouss? Yes, yes and yes: the creolization of the world never stops.

One of the go-to terms for anything “tropical” nowadays, Zouk is a music genre born in the late 70’s in the French Antillean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique. Zouk's first iteration was crafted by

11/01/2020

Well, better late than never, here are a bunch of 2019 albums that I've enjoyed, sorted in alphabetical order / Bon, mieux vaut tard que jamais, voici une poignée d'albums sortis en 2019 qui m'ont bien plu, rangés par ordre alphabétique:

Aster Aweke - "Ćhewa"
Big Thief - "U.F.O.F." & "Two Hands"
Cass McCombs - "Tip Of The Sphere"
Grand Veymont - "Grand Veymont"
Mohamed Mazouni - "Un Dandy En Exil - 1969/1982" (re-release)
MC Yallah x Debmaster - "Kubali"
Jenny Hval - "The Practice of Love"
Koffee - "Rapture"
Habib Koité & Bamada - "Kharifa"
Philémon Cimon - "Pays"
Purple Mountains - "Purple Mountains"
Madalitso Band - "Wasalala"
Mdou Moctar - "Ilana (The Creator)"
Susobrino - "La Hoja De Eucalipto"

💯👌

11/12/2019

MC Waraba & Mélèkè Tchatcho tomorrow live in Berlin!

Tomorrow's the night! 🤩

Let's get all warmed up with this video of a recent show from their current tour! 💯🔥

We look forward to welcoming you at Badehaus Berlin and experience together the amazing Balani live show from Mc Waraba & Mélèké Tchatcho, accompanied on this journey by their dope producer GASPA One Music and the great DJ & labelhead @Dom Peter (Blanc Manioc)!

11€ online pre-sales. 12€ at the door.
Doors at 11pm.

25/11/2019

YAAM Berlin

I am sooo looking forward to this magical event at YAAM Berlin on Friday! ten-cities.com​ has been digging for electronic music cooperations at eye-level between Africa and Europe since 2014, whose results are featured on a triple compilation on Soundway Records​ and an upcoming promising book.

Really pumped to be spinning my latest discoveries from the various African electronic music scenes on a dope line-up sporting great live & DJ acts such as Gebrüder Teichmann​ & Wura Samba​, Perera Elsewhere​, Disco Vumbi - Alai K​ and Florian Sievers​!

Grab your tickets now, this is going to be a wonderful night! 💯🎶🔥
Ten Cities Jam w/ Gebrüder Teichmann & Wura Samba (live) Perera Elsewhere (dj set)

Lagos - London - Nairobi - Berlin...
Die global vernetzten Subkulturen kreiren einen neuen Sound jenseits vom Hype! >> Ten Cities Jam w/ Gebrüder Teichmann & Wura Samba (live) Perera Elsewhere (dj set) u.a. am 29.11.19 im YAAM

20/11/2019

What The France DE

Vielen Dank an What The France DE für den Artikel und die Unterstützung! 💯🎶👌

"Während der afrikanische Kontinent was neue Hip-Hop- und Elektronikproduktionen angeht nahezu explodiert, so sind die malischen Rapper die Pioniere der „Balani Show“: eine Kombination aus digitalem Kuduro, Coupé-décalé und Hip-Life, die die DNA der Mandingue-Musik (Balafon/Taman) bewahrt.

Ihr neues Album „Supreme Talent Show“ ist neuer malischer Hip-Hop, der Soundtrack der Jugend aus Bamako. Auf den Tracks des aktuellen Albums erzählt das Duett vom Alltag im Leben Leben der Bewohner der Hauptstadt." 🇲🇱✊

Tickets sind noch verfügbar: MC Waraba & Mélèké Tchatcho | Live in Berlin!

🎤 Im Rahmen von African Beats & Pieces treten die Rapper Mc Waraba & Mélèké Tchatcho am 12. Dezember zum ersten Mal in Berlin auf und am Vortag in Hamburg!

CC What the France BUREAU EXPORT SPRWD

16/10/2019

"Amoul Problem !" • Vol. 4

Pour toi qui aime la musique, pour toi qui aime l'amour, le mix de l'amour problématique est de retour! 💔🎶

Viens donc jeter une oreille à cette nouvelle sélection de chansons magiques, méga LOL ou carrément WTF d'Afrique Francophone, à feuilleter tel un catalogue des drames sentimentaux du quotidien!

Le fait d'avoir joué récemment mon tout premier DJ gig pour un mariage hybride "afropéen" a accéléré la finition de ce quatrième volume qui s'empoussiérait depuis longtemps dans un tiroir digital! 💒🕺

Dansons, sourions & sanglotons au son des rythmes parmi les plus sautillants du continent : Rumba, Assiko, Zouglou, Makossa, Kwassa-Kwassa, Soukous... & Rock'n'roll!

(Setlist plus bas) Nous voilà de retour au coeur de ces drôles de douleurs, au rythme des claques, des caresses... et des pleurs! Ce mix thématique déroule avec amour une nouvelle ribambelle de geign

05/09/2019

djolo.net

Un gros merci à l'équipe du super site djolo.net pour la chouette chronique et le partage enthousiaste de mon dernier mix! 🤘❤️

"En sautant des balani maliens à la nouvelle pop somalienne, en flirtant avec le funana cap-verdien, avant de tourbillonner au rythme survolté de la pop dagbani ghanéenne, le Mixanthrope nous offre un beau, et surtout dansant, aperçu de la musique contemporaine africaine, qui a succombé aux sirènes de l’autotune !

(...)

Au lieu de se laisser aller à notre réaction faussement écœurée, certains ont pris le problème à bras-le-corps et ont entrepris de réfléchir autour de la chose et même d’en tirer du bon, du beau et du bounce !"

Fake It Till You Make It, DJ Mixanthrope a jeté son dévolu du côté des échos synthétiques venus d’Afrique et nous a concocté un tour de l’Afrique autotunée !
http://djolo.net/fake-it-till-you-make-it-tour-afrique-autotune-mixanthrope/

28/08/2019

Catch me for a Afro-House set at this brand new and mighty fine-looking event in Leipzig on Saturday at 18h: Golden Sunset Music Fest at Lindenauer Hafen!

Bring your sunglasses and dancing shoes! 💃🏻 🌇

05/08/2019

Auto-Tuned Africa, Vol. 3 • "Fake It Till You Make It" (Pop-Kultur Special)

🚨NEW MIX!🚨 24 songs from 18 countries, all united by the sacred bonds of Auto-Tune! 🤖

African Beats & Pieces founder Boris Paillard a.k.a. DJ Mixanthrope releases the third volume of his "Auto-Tuned Africa" mixtape series in anticipation of the upcoming panel talk "Auto-Tuned Africa: When Technology Meets Tradition", taking place at 19h on August 22nd, 2019 at the Haus für Poesie - as part of the Pop Kultur Festival in Berlin. 🎶😎

From Northern Ghana's Dagbani pop to Namibian Herero neo-traditional hits & from Hip-Hop to Funaná, this collection aims at covering different creative uses of the voice-sweetening software across the continent. Play it loud where it's allowed! Share if you care! 😍🕺

(Setlist below) The third volume of this mixtape series has been crafted in anticipation of the upcoming panel talk "Auto-Tuned Africa: When Technology Meets Tradition", taking place at the Pop-Kultu