Nigerien electric guitar master Mdou Moctar broke through in a big way last year with his stellar album, Afrique Victime.
Now, Moctar has announced a deluxe digital edition of the album that features nine previously unreleased recordings, and will be released by Matador on February 24. Among these recordings is the Afrique Victime outtake Nakanegh Dich, which you can check out below.
Nakanegh Dich is a typically exhilarating, up-tempo romp highlighted by a beautiful extended intro and fiery closing solo that – in a first for Moctar – are both drenched in a healthy helping of swirling wah effects.
“This is Mdou's very first time using a wah pedal,” explained Moctar's bassist, Mikey Coltun, in a press release. “At some point, Mdou called Rob [Schnapf] into the studio and asked him to control the wah with his foot while [he] shredded a solo.”
The deluxe edition of Afrique Victime caps off a whirlwind nine months for Moctar, which have seen him win critical plaudits for his record and go viral for a series of stunning live videos, showing the guitarist and his band blazing through mini-sets in front of a house on the outskirts of Niamey, Niger and on the banks of the Niger River, among other unique locales.
Moctar explained to Guitar World last year that he prefers concerts – regardless of where they take place – to the studio environment, saying that the latter is not as conducive for his creativity.
"The studio obstructs me a lot," he said. "In a concert, everyone is singing and everyone is dancing. It is not just you. It’s not just your energy, it is the energy of everyone.
“The studio is a different energy. Everybody listens to you, and only you. You have to do something special, just you! In a concert, the people push you to do something you could not do before.”
To presave or preorder the digital deluxe edition of Afrique Victime, stop by Moctar's website.
Mdou Moctar – Afrique Victime Digital Deluxe Edition:
1. Chismiten
2. Taliat
3. Ya Habibti
4. Tala Tannam
5. Untitled
6. Asdikte Akal
7. Layla
8. Afrique Victime
9. Bismilahi Atagah
10. Chismiten (Demo)
11. Taliat (Live)
12. Ya Habibti (Demo)
13. Tala Tannam (Demo)
14. Asdikte Akal (Live)
15. Layla (Live)
16. Afrique Victime (Live)
17. Bismilahi Atagah (Demo)
18. Nakanegh Dich (Demo)
