Words by Justin Turford

Previously known for their killer tropical-tinged space-disco grooves that appeared just as a number of similarly influenced bands such as Colombian cosmic-cumbia outfit Romperayo appeared, Mauskovic Dance Band (they’ve dropped the ‘The’) return to Bongo Joe with an album that sounds like something that could have been played at The Hacienda circa 1982 but with a heavy contemporary production sound. The Amsterdam outfit led by Nic Mauskovic deliver tough dancefloor wobblers with scratchy guitars and pounding percussion alongside post-punk skittering dub workouts and odd 80s style retro-future experimentalism. A Certain Ratio, Cabaret Voltaire, Talking Heads, Blue Rondo A La Turk, PIL, 23 Skidoo, Sly & Robbie, The Slits, Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, Scream + Dance, and definitely On-U Sound all seem to have been studied at depth, cut into pieces and reborn on this album. I’ve only mentioned mainly UK artists here so can’t presume what other sounds the band members have processed but from these ears, this is the palette they are painting from mainly. It’s no pastiche though, I’m one off those of the opinion that the speed at which the early 80s post-punk world was absorbed into either mainstream or specific underground genres was too fast and much development was missed.

Apparently this was the first record that they’ve made that involved the band jamming and creating on the wing and maybe that energy is palpable. As a contender on the live circuit, the urge to keep it powerful and floor-focussed amongst electronic acts and DJs is strong and they’ve definitely kept that on their mind. Instantly memorable bass lines, live and drum machine made percussion and drums that are both upfront, funky and imaginative, scratchy, chopping rhythm guitars and icy processed vocals and synths that mess with your head, all accompanied by rock solid songwriting chops. It’s addictive listening.

There are still traces of MDB’s previous incarnation with subtle nods to Afro-disco but in the same way that those pioneers of that Afro-Punky-Reggae thing in the late 70s were listening to Manu Dibango, King Sunny Ade and various highlife artists, interpreting it in their own European squat-living way. Intriguingly Bongo Joe are also releasing a bunch of 7” singles from Don Melody Club, Housepainters and Baby's Berserk, who all contain at least one member of MDB and dig even deeper into the stranger ends of No-Wave, Post-Punk and the NYC art rock scene! There’s something happening in Amsterdam and it smells a little like 1982. This is a great release! 9/10

RELEASED ON OCT 28 2022

BUY HERE! https://themauskovicdanceband.bandcamp.com/album/bukaroo-bank