KOKOKO! is an

experimental An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...

electronic music Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...

collective based in Kinshasa,

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

. Their sound is created through homemade, unconventional instruments made from scrap, and their lyrics focus on political problems within the country. The group performs in a variety of different languages, including

Kikongo Kongo or Kikongo is one of the Bantu languages spoken by the Kongo people living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon and Angola. It is a tonal language. It was spoken by many of those who were taken from t ...

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with France ...

Lingala Lingala (Ngala) (Lingala: ''Lingála'') is a Bantu language spoken in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the northern half of the Republic of the Congo, in their capitals, Kinshasa and Brazzaville, and to a lesser degree ...

, and

Swahili Swahili may refer to: * Swahili language, a Bantu language official in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda and widely spoken in the African Great Lakes * Swahili people, an ethnic group in East Africa * Swahili culture Swahili culture is the culture of ...

History

The group started in 2016, choosing the name KOKOKO! as it is an onomatopoeia in the

Lingala language Lingala (Ngala) (Lingala: ''Lingála'') is a Bantu language spoken in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the northern half of the Republic of the Congo, in their capitals, Kinshasa and Brazzaville, and to a lesser degree ...

to signify knocking on doors. The group was brought together by Débruit (Xavier Thomas), their producer, who met the other members of the group at a party in Ngwaka, Kinshasa. The group chose to use experimental, homemade instruments due to the high price of traditional instruments in Kinshasa and the lack of ways to create electronic music. KOKOKO! chooses to use instruments made out of unconventional junk and scrap. The lyrics of their music are allegorical, with references to the political situation of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. KOKOKO!'s sound has been compared to

Grace Jones Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a model, singer and actress. Born in Jamaica, she and her family moved to Syracuse, New York, when she was a teenager. Jones began her modelling career in New York state, then in Paris, working for ...

Talking Heads Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.Talkin ...

, and the

Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste The Orchestre Symphonique Kimbanguiste (OSK), or Kimbanguist Symphony Orchestra, is a Congolese orchestra based in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. For many years, the OSK was the only orchestra known to reside in Central Africa, thou ...

. Member Makara Bianko describes the music using the phrase ''tekno kintueni''. In 2017, the group released their first single, "Tokoliana". In late 2017, the group released "Tongo'sa" / "Likolo". In 2019, they released the single "Azo Toke" in the run-up to the release of their debut studio album, '' Fongola''. They released ''Fongola'' on 5 July 2019 with

Transgressive Records Transgressive Records is an independent record label based in London, formed in 2004. Its founders, Tim Dellow and Toby L, first met at a Bloc Party gig organised by Toby's Rockfeedback website. The label's debut release was "1am" by the Subway ...

, which received rave reviews.

Discography

Albums

* '' Fongola'' (2019,

Transgressive Transgressive may mean: *Transgressive art, a name given to art forms that violate perceived boundaries *Transgressive fiction, a modern style in literature *Transgressive Records, a United Kingdom-based independent record label *Transgressive (l ...

) * ''Fongola (Instrumentals)'' (2021, Transgressive) * ''Butu'' (2024, Transgressive)

Singles/EPs

* "Tongos'a" / "Likolo" (2017, ICI) * "Tokoliana" / "L.O.V.E." (2017, ICI) * "Liboso" (2018, Transgressive) * "Remixes" (2018, ICI) * "Malembe" (2019, Transgressive) * "Kitoko" (2019, Transgressive) * "Buka Dansa" (2019, Transgressive)

References

{{Authority control Electronic music groups Lingala language 2016 establishments in the Democratic Republic of the Congo Culture of Kinshasa Democratic Republic of the Congo musical groups Experimental music