In 1982, Vital Disorders — the post-punk/new wave DIY collective from Norwich in eastern England — took on Nigerian Afrobeat legend Fela Kuti's 1976 masterpiece "Zombie" and turned it into an alternative Afro-funk cover. This little-known hidden gem now gets a 7-inch reissue on Wah Wah 45s! Unearthed at the end of 2024 by BBC 6 Music DJ Gilles Peterson, it caught the ear of Wah Wah 45s label boss Dom Servini, and this 7-inch reissue is the result. A Newtone Records recommended 7-inch.
Born out of the influence of member/vocalist Lenneka Van Gilst, an African beat fanatic who was in the group during its early days, this lovely cover carries a punkish, tropical charm and an adorable vocal that recalls contemporaries like Rip Rig + Panic and Neneh Cherry. Rather than the original 7-inch's B-side, the flip here features Kotoa — the promising new-generation Afro-dub unit newly signed to Wah Wah 45s — taking on the same Fela Kuti "Zombie" with a strictly sparking Afrobeat dubwise cover for the present day. Spanning more than 40 years, it makes for a fascinating listen: two takes on "Zombie" born from old and new DIY post-punk reverence for Fela Kuti, pointing toward a modern Afrobeat future.
(Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)
Born out of the influence of member/vocalist Lenneka Van Gilst, an African beat fanatic who was in the group during its early days, this lovely cover carries a punkish, tropical charm and an adorable vocal that recalls contemporaries like Rip Rig + Panic and Neneh Cherry.
Rather than the original 7-inch's B-side, the flip here features Kotoa — the promising new-generation Afro-dub unit newly signed to Wah Wah 45s — taking on the same Fela Kuti "Zombie" with a strictly sparking Afrobeat dubwise cover for the present day. Spanning more than 40 years, it makes for a fascinating listen: two takes on "Zombie" born from old and new DIY post-punk reverence for Fela Kuti, pointing toward a modern Afrobeat future. (Original Japanese text by COMPUMA)