The LOOP Collective founder member and drummer Dave Smith has been a dedicated enthusiast of the percussive tradition from Senegal and Gambia in West Africa for over a decade now, initially from projects started at the Guildhall. He brought his Wolof percussion-inspired jazz drumming to the collective Outhouse, which climaxed in 2009 with master Gambian Sabar percussionists joining forces with the band to form Outhouse Ruhabi for a live recording and tour of the UK, and his work with JuJu. Fofoulah sees Smith reconnect with West African percussion master Kaw Seck and Senegalese vocalist Biram Seck and the Outhouse lineup are all here minus saxophonist Robin Fincker who's now living back in Paris. But whereas Outhouse Ruhabi was about finding connections between avant jazz improv within the ritualistic percussive tradition, Fofoulah is a band that deals in out-and-out melody and explosive dance-trance party grooves. Fofoulah (the album title Bene Bop means ‘one head’, and is a Wolof term for people from different cultures living and working together) formed in 2011 and has been likened to the Master Drummers of Joujouka. Keyboardist and producer Matt Calvert from noise-rock band Three Trapped Tigers provides a distinctly retro-futurist analogue sonic to the palette while adding Senegalese vocals, a rocky guitar edge and bass dub sonic creates a thunderously infectious stew.