La Maison Noir/The Black House

With each release, Petite Noir's Yannick Ilunga has built on the style and cultural movement he calls Noirwave. He established its post-punk-meets-African-music foundations with the King of Anxiety EP and furnished it with the lush production of La Vie Est Belle. With La Maison Noir/The Black House, he throws open its doors to some well-chosen collaborators. Ilunga appeared on Danny Brown's 2016 album Atrocity Exhibition, and Brown returns the favor here; while his nasal twang is unmistakable on "Beach," he doesn't overshadow Ilunga or the excitement generated by the song's sweeping guitars and synths. New York rapper/poet Saul Williams appears on "Blowing Up the Congo," and his lyrics about the master/slave binary add another dimension to Noirwave's scope. Ilunga's creative and romantic partner Rha! Rha!, who has helped shape the movement's look, adds her voice to the assertive, chromatic percussion-driven "F. Y. F. F. (Pow)" and the moody finale "Hanoii," both of which put lilting melodies and syncopated beats at the fore. It's fitting, however, that some of La Maison Noir/The Black House's finest moments belong to its architect: The bold opening track "Blame Fire" -- a phrase Ilunga coined to mean "all glory to God" is Petite Noir's most immediate statement of purpose to date, while "R E S P E C T"'s ricocheting percussion, nagging guitar motif, and whistled hook make it one of Ilunga's most fascinating productions. Like King of Anxiety and La Vie Est Belle before it, La Maison Noir/The Black House is a potent dose of Petite Noir's aesthetic. Its six anthems burn with Ilunga's desire to prove himself, and the years he spent refining Noirwave paid off: His vision of a proud pan-African culture is in clearer focus and more relevant than ever. ~ Heather Phares