I confess that Kolago Kult are a mystery to me. A little online digging turned up hardly any info, other than that they’re London-based, and have been releasing music – at least under this alias – since 2022. I can tell you, however, that sonically speaking they are perfectly aligned with fellow Londoners Beauty & The Beat, to whom their new E.P. is signed. 

The 12 centres around Samba De Matuto Leao Do Norte De Maragogi’s Nunca Me Faltou Sonora, a life-affirming bit of Brazilian street carnival business, that you might expect to hear spun at one of BATB’s legendary parties, or licensed to their other associated label, Time Capsule. It could easily shake its stuff side by side with Serginho Meriti, Gratien Midonet and Mario Rui Silva. Recalling the raw passion of Roberto Simone’s Secondo coro delle lavandaie, the original was recorded by Rio based producer Alfredo Bello aka DJ Tudo, and first released on his imprint Mundo Melhor. 

Kolago Kult’s Deep Samba remix transforms the bass surdo drum into seismic subs, and sends the ritual percussion and call-and-response chants into a dubbed out space, with serious sound separation. The results very similar to the Gwoka reworks that BATB, and Time Capsule’s Kay Suzuki, have become known for. It rattles, rolls on crazy congas, and builds to include what I think is a didgeridoo, while the Club mix is darker, heavier, more techno. Throbbing, hypnotic, futuristic, and slightly shamanic, with trippy, psychedelic vocal treatments and tape effects. 

The release is rounded off by another dynamic dub / drum workout, this one African. Blessing Of Shango, over a groovy house B-line, has a feisty flute lead the way. Initially recalling Flying Rhythms’ Mancuso / Loft favourite Doragon Balls, following a big half-time breakdown, and a woodwind solo, the beat bangs back in, bringing showers of bleeps with it. Developing into a dervish dance of intertwining and increasingly echoed acoustic and electronic elements, its chorus is catchy enough, in my humble opinion, to have it qualify as “Balearic.” 

Kolago Kult’s Selected Works can be ordered directly from Beauty & The Beat. The next BATB party, by the way, is this Saturday, February 22nd. You’ll find more details here.