Darkest Light

October 30th, 2009

Title:  Darkest Light: The Best of Lafayette Afro-Rock Band

Artist:  Lafayette Afro-Rock Band

Label:  Strut Records

Catalog No.: STRUT042CD

Release Date:  2009

Darkest Light: The Best of Lafayette Afro-Rock Band is a compilation of 15 tracks illustrating the best of the band’s infectious grooves from the ‘70s.  Formed on Long Island, the band relocated in 1971 to Paris, where elements of African music gradually began to influence their funk-heavy sounds. This compilation represents the full gamut of the band’s existence in the industry. First known as Ice before adopting the name Lafayette Afro-Rock Band in 1973, they were also variously known as Crispy and Company and Captain Dax (the latter were pseudonyms for the band in the Japanese market).  Under these names, they recorded a total of six studio albums and three singles.

The tracks featured on Darkest Light derive primarily from the albums Soul Makossa (1974), Each Man Makes His Own Destiny (1972, as Ice), Voodounon (1974), and Malik (1975). Though the Lafayette Afro-Rock Band was not as popular in the ‘70s as many of its contemporaries, the group is now experiencing a resurgence of interest from scholars, artists, and listeners, due to the sampling of their music by major hip hop artists.  Most notably, tracks such as “Hihache” and “Darkest Light” have been sampled by the likes of Wreckx-N-Effect, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, Biz Markie, Digital Underground and Jay Z, among others.

Within the tight, and sometimes loose, grooves of Darkest Light, the listener can identify the source material for beats of countless hip hop artists, as well as a spectrum of raw textures and styles that define the Lafayette Afro Rock Band’s sound.  For instance, “Racubah,” which they recorded as Ice, is an Afro-Cuban funk jam complete with clave rhythms interwoven in a hardcore two and four drive with a Hammond B3 and an overdriven guitar riffing harmonies along with punchy horn lines.  This track stimulates the full sonic experience, as it creates an aural image of eclectic timbres connected from low- to high-end frequencies.  It is a quintessential example of an Africanized conceptual approach to creativity, in which various textures and tones co-exist to form a unified whole.

Another example of this approach that reflects Lafayette Afro-Rock Band’s definitive sound is “Scorpion Flower,” which they recorded under the moniker Crispy and Company.  “Scorpion Flower” is a mid-tempo groove that is laid back yet full of momentum, as the instruments are played with multiple melodic, harmonic and rhythmic functions in mind.  For example, the guitar is used as a percussive, counter-melodic, and improvisational vehicle that shifts between artistic assignments during various musical moments.  This kind of creativity is also evident in the synth and percussion parts, exemplifying a distinct way of music-making inherent to the African Diaspora.

It is no surprise that hip hop artists have gravitated to the Lafayette Afro-Rock Band as a source for their groove foundations, because both possess a full spectrum of sounds that redefine and transform conventional Western approaches to creativity and instrumentation.  From the Lafayette Afro Rock Bands of the ‘70s to the Lil’ Waynes of today, a musical connection is evident.  Darkest Light is a must for those who might suggest that hip hop is not linked to the past while it progresses into the future.  It simply speaks for itself!

Reviewed by Tyron Cooper

Review Genre(s): Popular, Rock, and Misc., Rhythm & Blues, Soul, Funk