Mahjongg
Kontpab
K Records
Ignore the Chicago band’s weirdo manifesto “irratainment” designed to “teach the warnings and revelations of the almighty god Kontpab. Kontpab basically warns the human race of the mass ‘funnelling’ of the populace minds into The Grid.” Umm, yeah. Focus on the music. Electronic art-pop with an obvious adoration for Afro-funk dance, Mahjongg has been compared to Talking Heads, New Order and Kraftwerk, but they aren’t 1980s imitators, even when they bleep like Space Invaders or a stuck synthesizer key. Sparse vocals are slowed down to Valium speed. They even step clear of appropriated world-music cliches. Bet the live show kicks ass.
Sue Carter Flinn
This article appears in Feb 7-13, 2008.