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In the dense, humid forests of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the Kasai River winds its way through ancient landscapes, something extraordinary has been brewing for decades. The Kasai Allstars, a sprawling collective of musicians from various ethnic groups in the region, have created what might be the most audaciously titled album in recent memory – and thankfully, the music within lives up to every syllable of that gloriously unwieldy moniker.

This isn't your typical world music export, sanitized for Western consumption. The Kasai Allstars emerged from the remnants of various traditional groups that had been performing and evolving their sound since the 1970s, when political upheaval and economic instability scattered musicians across the region. What Crammed Discs' Vincent Kenis discovered when he ventured into the Kasai province wasn't a museum piece, but a living, breathing musical organism that had been quietly revolutionizing itself for thirty years.

The album's title references an ancient legend from the Luba people, and it serves as a perfect metaphor for the shape-shifting nature of the music contained within. This is traditional Congolese music that has devoured influences from across Central Africa and transformed into something entirely new – part ritual, part party, part spiritual journey into the unknown.

Musically, the Kasai Allstars operate in a realm that defies easy categorization. Built around the hypnotic interplay of thumb pianos (likembe), the music pulses with polyrhythmic complexity that would make King Crimson weep with envy. But this isn't math rock – it's organic, flowing, and utterly danceable. The vocals, delivered in various local languages including Tshiluba and Luba, range from haunting whispers to ecstatic chants, often featuring call-and-response patterns that seem to summon spirits from the forest itself.

The album's opening track, "Beware The Fetish," immediately establishes the group's singular vision. What begins as a seemingly simple thumb piano melody quickly multiplies into a cascading waterfall of interlocking parts, while voices weave in and out like smoke through trees. It's minimalist and maximal simultaneously, creating a trance-like state that feels both ancient and futuristic.

"The Chief's Enthronement" showcases the collective's ability to build tension through repetition and subtle variation. Over thirteen mesmerizing minutes, the track evolves from sparse beginnings into a full-blown ceremonial celebration, complete with ritual shouts and percussive eruptions that feel genuinely cathartic. Meanwhile, "A Good Husband" demonstrates their lighter touch, featuring playful vocal interplay over a groove so infectious it could convert the most rhythm-challenged indie kid into a dancing devotee.

The album's centerpiece, "Down And Out," might be the most accessible entry point for newcomers, but accessibility here is relative. The track maintains the group's commitment to complex polyrhythms while offering what passes for a conventional song structure. The result is something that could soundtrack both a village celebration and a particularly adventurous DJ set in Berlin.

What makes this album truly special is its complete authenticity combined with an adventurous spirit. This isn't traditional music preserved in amber, nor is it traditional music awkwardly grafted onto modern production techniques. Instead, the Kasai Allstars have created something that honors their heritage while pushing fearlessly into uncharted territory. The production, handled with remarkable sensitivity by Vincent Kenis, captures both the intimacy of the performances and the spatial complexity of the arrangements.

The album's impact has been quietly seismic within certain circles. It garnered significant critical acclaim upon release, introducing Western audiences to a completely different approach to rhythm, melody, and musical storytelling. More importantly, it helped establish a template for how traditional music could evolve without losing its soul.

In the years since its release, the Kasai Allstars have continued to tour and record, though subsequent releases have struggled to match the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of this debut. The group's influence can be heard in the work of various experimental musicians who have discovered that the most radical sounds sometimes come from the most ancient sources.

"In The 7th Moon" stands as a remarkable achievement – an album that manages to be both deeply rooted in tradition and utterly contemporary. Like the mythical chief of its title, it has transformed into something magnificent and strange, consuming everything in its path and emerging as something entirely new. This is essential listening for anyone interested in music that challenges, transports, and ultimately transforms.