82 (album)
Encyclopedia
82 is the second studio album
by the Kenyan house
/funk
trio Just a Band
, released in 2009 following their debut release Scratch to Reveal
. Just A Band signed a US licensing deal with Akwaaba Music, who re-released 82 on February 23, 2010.
charts, peaking at number three on November 11, 2009.
82 was released on October 2, 2009 at a pre-launch release party. Compared with the trio's previous release, Scratch to Reveal
, 82 is 12 minutes, 9 seconds longer and contains 13 tracks and 1 hidden track. The playlist features fewer guest artists (Bien Baraza, Juliani and Wambura Mitaru), and the trio have undertaken greater singing roles themselves.
". The video subsequently became popular, and has been described as "Kenya’s first viral internet meme". The band were featured on CNN, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company as a result.
described it as resplendent in its cool tones and chilled vocals and very distinctive, regardless of its origin, and The Huffington Post
described the album as the sign of a generational shift.
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
by the Kenyan house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
/funk
Funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...
trio Just a Band
Just A Band
Just a Band is a Kenyan house/funk/disco band whose career was launched with their debut album, Scratch To Reveal, in 2008. Their music has explored various musical directions such as, but not limited to jazz, hip-hop, disco and electronica....
, released in 2009 following their debut release Scratch to Reveal
Scratch to reveal
Scratch to Reveal was released by Kenyan house/funk trio Just A Band in 2008.Combining features of disco, funk and electronica, this was the first studio album by the Kenyan trio. The album includes "Oh Ndio", a remix of a song by defunct Kenyan pop group Five Alive.-Album information:Scratch to...
. Just A Band signed a US licensing deal with Akwaaba Music, who re-released 82 on February 23, 2010.
Album information
Just a Band released the music video for the first single from the album, "Usinibore" on July 4, 2009. The video - created by the band themselves - helped land the single in the We Are HuntedWe Are Hunted
' is a music aggregation website that launched in April 2009. It tracks the 99 most popular emerging songs online each day across blogs, social media platforms, forums, P2P networks and Spotify via an intuitive web interface...
charts, peaking at number three on November 11, 2009.
82 was released on October 2, 2009 at a pre-launch release party. Compared with the trio's previous release, Scratch to Reveal
Scratch to reveal
Scratch to Reveal was released by Kenyan house/funk trio Just A Band in 2008.Combining features of disco, funk and electronica, this was the first studio album by the Kenyan trio. The album includes "Oh Ndio", a remix of a song by defunct Kenyan pop group Five Alive.-Album information:Scratch to...
, 82 is 12 minutes, 9 seconds longer and contains 13 tracks and 1 hidden track. The playlist features fewer guest artists (Bien Baraza, Juliani and Wambura Mitaru), and the trio have undertaken greater singing roles themselves.
Ha-He
The band released the video for their second single from the album "Ha-He" on Wednesday 17 March 2010. The video is a spoof of blaxploitation films, featuring a protagonist named "MakmendeMakmende
Makmende is a fictional Kenyan superhero character which has enjoyed a popular resurgence after an adoptation by Kenya's musical group Just A Band in the music video for their song Ha-He on their second album, 82...
". The video subsequently became popular, and has been described as "Kenya’s first viral internet meme". The band were featured on CNN, The Wall Street Journal and Fast Company as a result.
Reception
Reviews for the album were strongly positive; Exclaim!Exclaim!
Exclaim! is a monthly Canadian music magazine that features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with special focus on Canadian and cutting-edge artists...
described it as resplendent in its cool tones and chilled vocals and very distinctive, regardless of its origin, and The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
described the album as the sign of a generational shift.
Track listing
Just a Band
| Just a Band | Vocals, Instrumentation Instrumentation (music) In music, instrumentation refers to the particular combination of musical instruments employed in a composition, and to the properties of those instruments individually... |
| Juliani | Vocals |
| Wambura Mitaru | Vocals |
| Bien Baraza | Vocals |
| Njoki Ngumi | Vocals |
| Tina Nduba | Vocals |
Production
| Executive producers | Just a Band |
| Mixing | Just A Band, Eric Musyoka |
| Instrumentation | Just A Band, David Gitoho, Eric Musyoka |
| Album Art/Package Design | Jim Chuchu |