Sacred Lodge: Ambam review | Safi Bugel's experimental album of the month

"Rooted in his ethnomusicological research, which explores the role of music in ritual contexts and his own Equatoguinean heritage, the results are unsettling but compelling, characterised by heady percussion and swarming electronics. But while his 2019 debut Hijos Del Sol was made up of murky downtempo instrumentals, N'Dongo's follow-up amps up the intensity almost beyond recognition, with a collection of sludgy, abrasive tracks."

"One of the starkest differences is the use of vocals, which have previously only featured as echoey background textures. On Ambam, N'Dongo makes full use of his voice. Inspired by the tradition of field hollers and ritual chants (specifically of the Fang people, from which his father originates), he ranges from guttural metal-style growls to distorted screams and yelps; some lyrics are delivered in a panting, rap-like cadence."

"The instrumentals are harsher this time, too, welding elements of horrorcore, industrial and bass music into buzzing storms of noise. Excitingly, several tracks are anchored by hypnotic drum patterns that might even seem clubby in a different context. Enen is a highlight, with its metallic, polyrhythmic percussion, as is the skulking A Bo Biboa. Other tracks are straight-up discordant, such as Mongu Nnang, featuring Cairo-based producer El Kontessa, which clatters along frenetically."

Ambam intensifies Sacred Lodge's sound into sludgy, abrasive tracks anchored by heady percussion and swarming electronics. Vocals move to the forefront, drawing on field hollers and Fang ritual chants and ranging from guttural metal growls to distorted screams and panting, rap-like cadences. The instrumentals fuse horrorcore, industrial and bass into buzzing storms of noise, with several tracks driven by hypnotic, clubby drum patterns. Highlights include Enen's metallic, polyrhythmic percussion and the skulking A Bo Biboa; Mongu Nnang offers frenetic, discordant clatter. The record feels dense, disorientating and purposefully overwhelming, framing unapologetic resistance music.

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