Kinshasa in Action by KINACT

For fans of SPK, Einstürzende Neubauten, Grim, zamrock, and the joy of giving value to something once deemed worthless, Kinshasa in Action by KINACT gives a distinct and spiritually resonant voice to Central Africa’s unwelcome role as the final destination of all harmful industrial and colonial byproducts. As the west continues to outsource its manufacturing to countries in the global south, the pollution and litter also associated with mass production overwhelms the landscapes of these neo-colonies. For the street performers of KINACT in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, this abundance of industrial waste becomes fodder for creative expression, as plastic bottles, copper wires, aluminum cans, and glass bottles provide a foundation for the band’s distinctive costumes and instruments. These wildly costumed performers set to work creating an extremely percussive, densely syncopated form of industrial music, an industrial experience in the truest sense of the word as deep local traditions interact with homemade instrumentation of the most absurd byproducts of the factory. The results of global exploitation springs to life, fusing with the human soul to haunt us in our comforts.