Lafayette Afro-Rock Band: Malik (translucent blue vinyl) [STRUT]

Why you'll love it

Strut's reissue puts Malik on translucent blue vinyl, pressed in Germany. "Darkest Light" is one of the most sampled grooves in hip hop, turning up in Public Enemy's "Show 'Em Whatcha Got" and Wreckx-n-Effect's "Rump Shaker."

This edition

• Translucent blue vinyl
• Pressed in Germany

About the album

Most American funk bands of the early 1970s fought for space at home. This lot packed up and moved to Paris. The group from Roosevelt, Long Island, had decided the US scene was too crowded, and France rewarded them with a new audience and a new sound, as rock guitars and African percussion crept into their grooves. They also recorded under other names, including Ice and Captain Dax, and stayed based in France until they split in 1978.

Malik leans hard on fuzz and talk box, with the Univox Super-Fuzz doing a lot of the heavy lifting. "Darkest Light" is the big one, with a mournful horn line and a sax solo by Leroy Gomez, who later fronted Santa Esmeralda. "Djungi," "Conga" and the title track keep the percussion front and centre. The breaks sit right up front, raw and loud, exactly where a DJ would want them.

Ice Cube, Heavy D & the Boyz and Jay-Z all borrowed from "Darkest Light" over the years, which makes it something of a family heirloom in hip hop. The band would be pleased to know the original is still the best seat in the house.

Also at Kops: more Lafayette Afro-Rock Band on vinyl · browse 70s Soul On Up

Tracklist

Listen

On Strut (cat# STRUT299LP).