ORCHESTRE POLY-RYTHMO DE COTONOU Volume 3: The Skeletal Essences of Voodoo Funk 2LP

Following two previous Poly-Rythmo collections released by the multiple award-winning label, this 3rd compilation is further proof that our ears are facing ''one of the funkiest bands in the world.''

Starting in 2005, Samy Ben Redjeb, Analog Africa's founder and compiler, made several trips to Benin, where he dug up most of the orchestra's output recorded between 1969 and 1983: hundreds of vinyl records and a few master tapes, in a total of 500 songs. With all that material in hands and the astonishing richness of the group's material, choosing the songs proved to be a tough task. Therefore, it seems only natural that it has taken a few years for this third volume to come out of Analog Africa's sonic treasure trove.

The 14 tracks have never been issued outside of Africa and most of them follow the spirit and sound of the first volume, The Vodoun Effect, which was a selection of songs released by small and obscure labels from this tiny country which was once known as Dahomey. Some of the songs presented here were recorded using a legendary piece of equipment -- a Swissmade Nagra reel-to-reel recorder and one or two microphones, in private houses or open-air gardens, mostly at night.

And still, it would be somewhat difficult for contemporary musicians and engineers to achieve the stunning quality of raw sound and the atmosphere obtained in these recordings. One thing that immediately catches the attention listening to this compilation is the band's steamroller-like grooves employed by Gustave Bentho, the mythical bass master, and Leopold Yehouessi, the fantastic drummer -- for many, Africa's funkiest rhythm sections.

''Houton Kan Do Gome,'' composed by Bentho, would've made James Brown proud. ''Ecoutes ma melodie'' is destined to become a classic late-night tune for the many amazing tropical and Afro parties taking place around the globe. ''Pourquoi pas?'' and ''A O O Ida'' would be the kind of sound The Meters would have created were they born in Benin.