The Afrorack

Description

Ugandan synth producer and manufacturer Brian Bamanya, aka Afrorack, is responsible for building Africa's first DIY modular synthesizer, a massive wall of homemade modules and FX units that he aptly named The Afrorack. The reason he embarked on this challenging project is simple: as he began to study the world of modular synths, he realized that acquiring the technology in Uganda would be difficult due to availability and pricing issues. After a quick online search, Bamanya discovered that he could easily download circuit diagrams and buy the necessary parts locally. He then taught himself the theory and built a CV-controlled system that has continued to evolve since. The Afrorack is Bamanya's debut album and showcases the producer's unbridled creativity and relentless energy. Aware that these modules were designed with European and American musical styles in mind, he developed his own methodology and musical language to adapt the system to his needs. His starting points are often abstractions of acid and techno, but Bamanya incorporates East African rhythms and different scales into these familiar structures, transforming them into fractals. Sometimes, Bamanya's meditative and bass-heavy compositions echo the psychedelic sounds of Shackleton or Adrian Sherwood's African Head Charge. And on less rhythmic tracks, Bamanya consciously nods to the history of modular music, approaching the cosmic universe of Popol Vuh, Klaus Schulze, and Emeralds, while infusing it with the unique rhythmic intensity of East Africa.