Altered Zones

"Autotune", presumably from Niger, is one of many unattributed gems blogger Christopher Kirkley at SahelSounds seized while on a stint in West Africa. Though I'm sure he ravaged through crates and crates of water-damaged LPs and cassettes, Christopher looked where most diggers wouldn't have thought of: discarded cellphone memory cards. By recognizing that cellphones are the most popular way to listen to and transport MP3s, he scored hours upon hours of music, including Tamashek guitar, Algerian Raï, Coupé Décalé, Kuduro, Hip Hop, loads of Arabic "Habibe" pop, French ballads, and Bollywood hits that are unlikely to have touched many ears in the States. Portland label/record shop Mississippi Records released a limited cassette compilation of the hottest cellphone jams. On the off chance that you're unfamiliar with Mississippi, J. Spaceman might be able to tell you where to start. --Ric Leichtung, International Tapes

MP3: Niger: "Autotune"

Download Music from Saharan Cellphones courtesy of SahelSounds for free