An experience for anyone who wants to feel rhythm as much as hear it.
Arsenal Mikebe transform traditional Ugandan rhythm practices into a hypnotic force of sound somewhere between percussion ensemble, dub system and futuristic rave. What emerges is not a concert in the conventional sense, but a collective state of trance.
Based in Kampala, the ensemble is among the most exciting new voices in contemporary percussion. Drawing on East African rhythmic traditions, Arsenal Mikebe create high-energy sonic landscapes that evoke the power of electronic club music while remaining entirely handmade.
At the centre of their sound is a custom-built steel percussion instrument inspired by the inner workings of the legendary Roland TR-808. Played with intense physicality, it becomes a living drum machine of metal, resonance and motion.
Following appearances at Roskilde, Fusion, Sinsal and Tallinn Music Week, Arsenal Mikebe have established themselves as one of the most compelling live acts emerging from the African continent.
Part ceremony, part soundsystem, part trance.