ThrdCoast Reviews “What Goes Up”

This article by Laura Kerry originally appeared on ThrdCoast.

For the last 15 years, a varying group of musicians has met in Chicago lofts and studios to create around their shared love of Afrobeat music. Since 2012, Chicago Afrobeat Project (CAbP) has released four albums and developed a unique sound that combines West African beats, jazz instrumentation and melodies, and a range of elements from other genres, from funk to indie.

Inviting different members and artists to contribute and leave their mark as they please, CAbP runs as more of a collective than a rigid band, and their new release, What Goes Up, reflects this structure (or lack thereof). In ten songs, the album cycles through different voices, moods, and instrumentation, crediting almost 20 different artists—about half of whom are vocalists. As a result, though the bass, guitar, synth, and horn sections remain throughout, each song carries a different tone.
Continue reading →

Popmatters Reviews “What Goes Up”

This article by Adriane Pontecorvo originally appeared on Popmatters.

Can there be any greater thrill for a band, especially one with love and appreciation for Afrobeat, than getting to work with Tony Allen? If the Chicago Afrobeat Project’s new collaboration with Allen is any indication, there’s nothing better than the music that comes from working with the legendary Afrobeat founder. Not a single track holds back as the group plays fiery, modern funk with Allen’s intense rhythms driving them forward. The group tackles race relations and police brutality on “Race Hustle” and climate change on “Marker 48”, which starts with a quick spoken breakup between the Earth and her deadbeat boyfriend, the human race, before turning into a lament for the fate of them both.
Continue reading →

Mild Sauce Features “No Bad News” Video

This article by Jake Krez originally appeared on Mild Sauce.

This city is filled with talent which means that when releases hit, they could come from well-known artists as well as after-school programs, college-courses, activist groups or any number of local boiling pots of art that have come to characterize the city in recent years. True to form, the Chicago Afrobeat Project teamed up with a healthy contingent of the city’s talent in Kiara Lanier, Legit and Tony Allen for a new, uplifting single “No Bad News.” Get into it below.