Ajate - Alo (2020)

Three years after their critically acclaimed and sold out Abrada LP the great and joyful Japanese afro groovers Ajate are back with their much awaited brand new album Alo!

Ajate is a Japanese band who plays a unique blend of afro-groove dance music mixed with Japanese traditional festival music called Ohayashi. Formed in 2011 by the band-leader John Imaeda, Ajate consists of 10 Japanese musicians.

Another unique feature of the band is the use of hand-made bamboo instruments as well as traditional Japanese percussion. The Jahte is a bamboo-made xylophone or balafon with a piezo pick-up mic attached to each key, connected to a pre-amplifier to obtain a loud sound and to add some touch of dirty distortion to its warm and natural acoustic sonority. The Piechiku is also a bamboo-made string instrument inspired by the west-African Ngoni or Moroccan Guembri instruments. The Piechiku uses strings of the Japanese traditional Shamisen. This instrument is also played through a pre-amplifier and John sometimes adds some wah-wah effect to it. All these bamboo instruments are designed, made and named by John Imaeda himself.

Tracklist:
01. Ajate - Uka (4:04)
02. Ajate - Galar (5:07)
03. Ajate - Sowah (7:35)
04. Ajate - De De (9:06)
05. Ajate - Mammamelie (6:44)
06. Ajate - Nchakara (4:36)