Demon Fuzz Afreaka

DJs like Gilles Petersen have been hip to the seven-piece wonder band Demon Fuzz for years, and as of the 21st century - now that everybody's put away their James Brown records for sampling - other club jocks are getting into the act of sampling this incredibly rare LP. Afreaka! was the only release by Demon Fuzz. Released in 1970, Afreaka! is a wild mash of Afro-Latin funk, breakbeats, tripped-out soul, jazz fusion, and psychedelic journeying. These seven black musicians took on everything that was happening, and were musicians enough to make it work for them. Most tracks run in the eight- and nine-minute range and get down with tough drums at the core, with rhythmic shifts happening on a grooved dime…

Originally released in 1970, Afreaka! was the sole album by Demon Fuzz, an Afro Rock band who made their mark by signing to Pye Records Progressive imprint Dawn. Like Osibisa this band was made up of a group of young blacks who had immigrated to London. A melding of rock, jazz and African influences, the album was a funky masterpiece. Recently re-evaluated and sampled by many DJs of a new generation.