u/tiggerclaw

And what I absolutely love about them is their playful approach to noise. Other groups use noise for shock value and to be as abrasive as possible. But I feel Afrirampo approaches noise with absolute joy.

I've heard their entire discography, and it's impossible for me to choose one favourite album. Not only are they all good, but they're all different too.

Take Afriverse from 2018. What's this? A pop record? Well, it's as pop as Afrirampo can get, which isn't very pop at all. But it's quite enjoyable, merging mature songwriting, noise, and call-and-response vocals. And that doesn't stop them from making "Aino Hoshi", the album's 12-minute centrepiece.

But how did they get here?

Afrirampo consists of Oni and Pika, who formed the band in their late teens in 2002. They emerged from the same Osaka experimental music scene as Boredoms and Acid Mothers Temple.

Just two years later, they're touring with Lightning Bolt and Sonic Youth while spending two months in the jungles of Cameroon with the Baka people (also known as Pygmies). More on that later, because it's a big part of their musical development.

That same year, they release A and Afrirampo, establishing their aggressive, improvisational sound.

Then in 2005, they drop three massive albums:

• Urusa in Japan – their aggressive major-label Japanese debut.
• Kore Ga Mayaku Da – released through John Zorn's Tzadik label, revealing a more psychedelic and expansive side.
• We Are Acid Mothers Afrirampo! – a collaboration with Acid Mothers Temple.

Most people probably prefer Urusa in Japan for its explosive punk rock energy, but I really love Kore Ga Mayaku Da for its spiritual and meditative approach to noise.

Then comes Baka Ga Kita! in 2006, consisting of field recordings from their time with the Baka people in Cameroon.

And this is decidedly not a rock record.

Instead, it's snippets of percussion, communal singing, and sounds of the jungle. My favourite aspect is hearing Oni and Pika doing call-and-response with children. It really makes you appreciate how music is a universal language.

Oni has a kid, so there's a bit of a break. But in 2007, they release Suuto Breakor, which isn't so much an album as one enormous improvisational composition.

This one isn't aggressive at all. Instead, it features gentle guitar arpeggios, chanting, and sparse drums. It has a much gentler, more childlike character, although I wouldn't necessarily attribute that directly to Oni's pregnancy.

Think they were going gently into the good night?

Not on your life.

Because in 2010, We Are Uchu No Ko brings back the aggression. But this time, they're much more expansive. In a way, it's almost a combination of Urusa in Japan and Kore Ga Mayaku Da in one cohesive package.

After its release, Afrirampo breaks up so both members can pursue their own projects. But six years later, they reunite.

Which brings us back to Afriverse in 2018. By this point, they've developed a much broader musical vocabulary. They've kept the absurdity and spontaneity, but there's a greater emphasis on melody and songwriting. You can also hear the influence of their experiences in Cameroon.

It's the last full-length studio album they've released solely under their own name.

However, in 2023, Afrirampo collaborates with British rapper Oliver Asadi on the EP Lionsapien, mixing their noise rock with hip-hop. And it works surprisingly well.

They haven't released another record since then, and these days they're primarily a live act. In 2026, they've performed alongside Otoboke Beaver, Merzbow, and Super Jet Kinoko. And from what I've seen on YouTube, they're one hell of a live band.

If you like noise rock, Afrirampo is a must-hear. Especially if you love joyful noise.

It seems to be popular these days to include Japanese obi strips with recent vinyl releases, but why? When I looked into it, it turns out these records aren’t actually released in Japan—it seems the trend is to “make it look like they’re being released in Japan.”😳😅

And I’m a little confused, because I don’t remember CDs ever completely going away. Dedicated music stores still sell the damn things. Go to a concert and there’s a good chance they’re sitting right there at the merch booth.

But the bigger problem is that all this “REVIVAL!” noise doesn’t really line up with the numbers.

According to Music Business Worldwide, CD sales were still getting kicked around last year. Unit sales fell 11.6% YoY to 29.5 million, while revenue dropped 7.8% YoY to $312.4 million.

That was the lowest year for CD sales since the ’80s.

Hell, more CDs were sold in 1986 than in 2025.

So why is everybody suddenly hollering about a revival?

Because during the first half of 2026, CD sales jumped 16% compared with last year. If that pace holds, and you throw in the usual holiday bump, we’re looking at something like 36 million CDs sold this year.

Sounds pretty good...

Until you remember that CDs sold 46.6 million units in 2021.

So a 16% jump from a historic 50-year low doesn’t scream REVIVAL to me. It looks more like the format finally stopped falling down the stairs for a minute.

And no, I’m not trying to piss on the party. I love CDs. I own well over 1,000 of them. I would be thrilled if people started giving a damn about physical music collections again.

But the statistician in me keeps scratching at this story.

Why does the “CD Revival” narrative exist when the numbers are still this weak?

I think part of it is that digital sales are starting to run out of juice. Streaming revenue only grew 3.1% during 2025, and that happened because Spotify raised prices and squeezed more ARPU out of each user. Digital downloads did even worse, falling 0.8% YoY.

So how do you squeeze more money out of physical music?

Vinyl becomes the shiny premium object. Charge $50 for it. Sell it as the aspirational format for “enthusiasts.”

That price is going to knock plenty of teenagers right out of the room.

But don’t worry, Jayden and Chloe.

There’s always the $25 CD.

At least, that’s how this is supposed to work if you can convince Gen Z that CDs are suddenly the hot new thing and everybody is doing it.

Maybe they will be.

But until I see CD sales crawling back even to where they were in 2021, I’m keeping one eyebrow up at this whole “CD Revival” business.

SOURCES:

https://youtu.be/Hpn3ERMCAHY

https://consequence.net/2026/07/the-cd-revival-is-getting-hard-to-ignore

https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/us-paid-music-streaming-subscriptions-hit-106-5m-in-2025-adding-6-5m-accounts-yoy-the-strongest-growth-since-2022/

The reason Valour FC failed was purely because of marketing.

Because what even is Valour and how is that related to Manitoba? You need a concept that Manitoba can get behind.

So my idea is to key in on the entire concept of friendliness, something that bring's the entire 'Peg together. And absolutely nothing is as friendly as a handshake, so that should take centre stage on the uniform.

In keeping with other team colours in Winnipeg, blue and gold are a must. After all, they're in the city's flag. Blue represents the prairie skies, while gold alludes to wheat fields.

The ultimate goal here is to capture the unifying, friendly spirit of Winnipeg, the friendliest place in Canada.