CHIRP: Chicago Independent Radio Project

Posted by Kumar M. on September 2, 2008 around 2pm

If you had 3 years to dig for Funk records in West Africa, what would you find? DJ Soulpusher reveals some killer cuts plus talks about his adventures on the Mother Continent…

For any DJ who has become hopelessly obsessed with music on vinyl, there is nothing more satisfying than digging through stacks and crates of dusty 45s and LPs in search of gems. Some even dedicate entire road trips to the pursuit — a digging trip — where no stone is left unturned, no loot left unrifled through.

In 2005 Frank Gossner (DJ Soulpusher) of Berlin and NYC embarked on more than just a road trip; he spent three years digging for records in West Africa, lured by his passion for African funk from the 70s. That’s right, a three year stay dedicated to seeking out the rarest cuts ever to bloom out of Benin, Guinea, Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, and all the other funky places on the Mother Continent. However, unlike other DJs who have made a similar pilgrimage Frank openly shares his stories and artifacts through his blog, voodoofunk.blogspot.com.

Frank writes about carefully picking at stacks of record so old that hornets had built chambers and tunnels between the slabs of vinyl. He introduces you to colorful characters such as Mr. Anu Deen Kamara. He writes about the perils of being a tourist, about political unrest in Guinea, about discovering an unlikely love for African disco, and much more. Oh, did I mention Frank has posted over 23 hours of DJ mixes for download? The blog is a stunning piece of work and has captured the hearts of music lovers all over the world. If you’re not sure where to start, Frank suggests these three 45s by Ferry Djimmy, Orchestre African Fiesta, and Cotonou’s mythical Orchestre Poly Rythmo.

What about all the records he found? After shipping a container back to NYC, Frank still had to ditch clothes and toiletries just to pack in more records. It’s clear that Frank’s passion is first and foremost the music itself but to put some perspective on how valuable these artifacts may be, take a glance at a recent eBay auction for a rare Senegalese LP from the 60s by Le Rail Band. After 17 bids it sold for $1,276. There have been a few DJs making strides to reissue this material but a good chunk of worthy recordings still haven’t seen the light of the present day.

DJ Soulpusher will play in Chicago on Tuesday September 9th at Sonotheque for Brad Loving’s Bird And Whale Showcase #3. In the meantime, I caught up with Frank over email for a little more insight into his adventures.

What was your motivation for spending 3 years of your life in West Africa digging for records?

“I used to spin US Funk 45s before and kinda felt like extending my horizon. I felt very intrigued to explore a field where there actually is a big number of ‘undiscovered’ music to be found. I fell into a little bit of money while I was living in Berlin and when my girlfriend was offered the possibility to work in Guinea, I just sold most of my belongings and moved down there with her.”

Your ear for the 70s African sound has led you to an amazing collection of music. What is it about this particular sound that grabs you?

“I think that in Africa, music has much more importance in everyday life than in Europe or in the US. A musician sees himself as a worker who’s doing an important job and who’s giving all his energy. I don’t mean no disrespect and I have a lot of friends in the states as well as in Germany who are musicians and I still also listen to a lot of non-African music but the commitment and passion I’ve noticed when talking to old and young musicians or radio DJs in Africa is on a whole other level. I can even listen to African Disco or Boogie because it’s so energetic and the musicianship is so mind-blowing, everything feels so ‘organic.’ Most American or especially European Disco still has me running for the door but when it comes to African music, there’s so much good stuff out there. Some of the more traditional stuff really feels like the primal matter to all music I’ve ever heard.”

You mention how you started by looking for funk records but stumbled upon all sorts of other music. What record surprised you the most?

“It’s hard to mention a specific record.
I was blown away by a lot of the stuff from Mali and Malian influenced stuff from Guinea.

“One example would be Gbassikolo by Kaloum Star, Orchestre Kanaga de Mopti or the Mbaana Lp by Ouza et les 4 Femmes dans le Vent. Just crazy stuff that’s part traditional, part out of control fuzzed out psychedelic.”

You wrote about meeting up with several musicians who played on some of these records. Did this lead you to any interesting modern recordings that they’re working on?

“Sadly no. I can only speak for myself and my taste has always been very specific. I just can’t stand modern studio productions. I don’t want to speak in stereotypes but as far as the stuff goes that I have listened to, modern African recordings are really overproduced, kinda cheesy sounding — overproduced using cheap digital technology.
Live shows are something completely different and can be simply incredible. Especially the Mandingue Jazz Band Conakry Cocktail at the night club la Forchette Magique.”

You’ve provided a cultural wealth of images, stories, and music free for anyone to download on your blog. What made you decide to openly share so many artifacts from your travels?

“I was so impressed and moved by my experiences down there that I just felt the urge to tell people about it. I was honestly surprised by the response I got. Originally, I started the blog only to keep a handful of friends updated and informed. I also got contacted by a lot of interesting people with a similar interest in music and received a lot of help with getting work as a DJ through this blog.”

I read that you are currently seeking venues in NY for a regular DJ night and that you’ve booked a few gigs to play out these records. What’s next?

“I’m talking to a really nice venue about a weekly party that will hopefully start in October (ed.: it’s on!) and I’m also trying to get some DJ work in other places. I’m also having plans to go back to Africa to pick up some more records later this year but first, I need to earn some money … I managed to blow my entire life savings within those past three years and am now basically starting again from scratch.”

West Africa has delicious food and damn strong tea. What was the best meal you had?

“I’ve actually never been a big fan of tea but the local Star Beer in Sierra Leone or Ghana or the Beninoise or Flag in Benin are quite nice. My favorite African beverage is Sodabi which is local moonshine, distilled from palm wine. Very strong and if it’s from a good source, absolutely delicious. My favorite dish is the delicious cane rat stew at Maquis de Pili Pili in Cotonou; the rodent is first smoked and then chopped up and simmered in red palm oil with crabs, potato leaves and African peppers that look like Habanero but are spicier with either fried plantains or “pate mais,” a sort of pudding made out of fermented corn, wrapped in banana leaf. Benin has a huge variety of delicious dishes. Up north towards Burkina Faso you can find excellent bush meat like antelope or some sort of miniature venison. Fried termites are a great snack once you get over unusual mouth feeling; they taste really great and are surprisingly filling. The Fulla people in the North of Benin are nomads and own big herds of cattle, the women prepare a traditional, red-skinned cheese which has a texture like Mozzarella but a much more intense taste. It can be eaten cold with bread or fried and cooked in peanut sauce.”

Once again, don’t miss DJ Soulpusher spinning funky African records for the dancefloor in Chicago on Tuesday September 9th at Sonotheque. As Brad puts it: This is big. Real Big.