Trust Crammed Discs to do things differently. This 2-CD tribute to the trailblazing adventurers of modern Congolese music doesn’t feature stars of the ongoing Congotronics series – Konono N° 1, Kasai Allstars, and assorted affiliates – guest-starring on the latest produce by indie darlings in an effort in inject a drop of exotic authenticity to their jangly oeuvre. Neither is this a case of straightforward covers or slightly tweaked remixes.

Just as the thumb piano-powered, distorted grooves of Konono N° 1 and the mysterious songcraft of Kasai Allstars simultaneously honour and gleefully disregard traditional Congolese sounds, these 26 reworks of Congotronics ‘hits’ find an incredible roster of alternative and electronic music heroes (Animal Collective, Deerhoof, Andrew Bird, members of Wilco and Boredoms etc) bending both their own sound and that of their inspirations to breaking point and beyond to create something just as fresh, strange and joyful as the source material. In an unexpected way, the outcome’s much more a genuine collaboration than the routine duet/remix/cover version approach allows; albeit collaborating in spirit rather than flesh, both those being paid tribute to and the, er, tribute-payers press their unmistakable stamp on the proceedings, creating sounds that are – for the most part – just as strikingly unique as the greatest creations of everyone involved whilst not really resembling the default settings of either party.

Whether toned down to an ambient whisper or bingeing on decibels and dancefloor-decimating beats, these unorthodox reinventions prove almost uniformly compelling. Granted, a few tracks work better as noble experiments than actual fully compelling listening experiences. But the highpoints more than make up for the odd spot of (relatively speaking) idling, with electronic reworks hitting the bull’s eye with impressive precision, perhaps predictably so, considering the emphasis on the beat throughout the Congotronics catalogue. Tussle’s Krautrock-hued ‘Soft Crush’, Bass Clef’s sub bass-drenched ‘The Incident at Mjubi-Mayi’ and Burnt Friedman’s minimalistic ‘Rubaczech’ are all superlative-exhausting produce from top-ranking laptop laboratories. However, they’re all overshadowed by Shackleton’s colossal, hypnotic ‘Mukuba Special’. With the disembodied vocals of Kasai Allstars hovering eerily over murkily dense rhythms like ancient spirits proclaiming some supernatural visions, it takes the original deep into the bush from the bustling streets of Kinshasa, tracing an enticing musical roadmap between traditional Congolese beats, their modern updates as fashioned by Congotronics acts, and cutting edge electronic music.