If you’re familiar with the punchy electro sounds of Gus Gus, you might be surprised by this, a breakout album from one of the group’s more permanent members. President Bongo deals in studied ambience, though the music paints some vivid pictures that go hand in hand with the album title, such as the harmonica-based ‘Scirocco’. The album plays a few tricks, though, because the tracks tend to be either relatively short or stretched out in the best traditions of his band. Each of the instrumentals has its own distinct character, such as the heavily extended ‘Tramontana’, which has an underlying menace, and ‘Levante’, a gorgeous cello-rich track. These form the impression that President Bongo has had some of this album up his sleeve for a while – and is now ready to share it with us. It bodes well for a new stage in his career.
4 out of 5
Reviewed by Ben Hogwood
{http://soundcloud.com/president-bongo/sets/serengeti}
