Biography
Yossi Fine, an Israeli bassist who began working as a session musician at age sixteen and went on to record with David Bowie and Me'Shell NdegéOcello, joined forces with Nana Dadzie, a Fante prince from Ghana who had earlier established the respected African drumming and dance ensemble Susuma, to launch Ex-Centric Sound System. The project soon drew in additional players whose individual skills helped shape its global palette: Ghanaian percussionist, dancer, and flutist Benjamin "Sai" Kouelho; Moroccan-Israeli trap drummer Michael Avgil; and Adevo Savour, whose contributions on djembe, flutes, bells, and vocals supplied further texture. These elements anchored an expansive collection of sounds and samples stretching from Ethiopian choral traditions to Jamaican dub rhythms. The band centers its work on the music of the African diaspora, setting lyrics in Kreyol, Ga, Ewe, Fante, Tutsi, Hutu, and English amid layers of acoustic instruments, dance grooves, and electronic treatments. Although the arrangements are intricate, they seldom feel congested, owing to the group’s relaxed pacing and the deliberate breathing room left between its many sonic strands. The debut album, Electric Voodooland, appeared in 2000 after being tracked at Fine’s studio, King Solomon’s Shack, whose unhurried environment supported the music’s wide-ranging character. Subsequent releases included West Nile Funk in 2004 and Afro Riddim Session, Vol. 1 in 2006.
Albums
