Kokoko!

Kokoko! is a group from Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, active since 2016. It works in electronic and post-punk music and brings together Makara Bianko, Débruit, Boms Liteli, Dido Oweke Lokato, Love Lokombe and Bovic Mwepu.

The group forms in Ngwaka and is made up of artists and musicians who have known each other since childhood. They build much of their sound from instruments and devices made from found objects, including a one-string guitar, a typewriter drum machine, water bottles tuned to play melodies, and a talk box made from a car cassette player. These inventions begin out of necessity, when the musicians cannot afford conventional guitars, but they soon become central to the group’s distinctive sound.

Kokoko! also works with the French producer Débruit, who helps merge different sonic worlds in the group’s music. This collaboration pushes their raw psychedelic style into a club-oriented setting.