Why should you give „Repeat After Me” a chance? For many the band KONGOS might not be new, from their dynamic tracks this may be the most outstanding. To prove my bold statement, this song has everything from the band’s characteristics and yet it feels special. It builds as a damped mantra until the refrain, then during the second bridge the tune intones in a beautiful instrumental. We can say only for a few songs that the title, lyrics and the song itself are in perfect harmony.
The verses monotonous rhythm brings a fantastic way to create tension, we crave for the scream and for the completion of the drums which starts only as a small „murmuring” at the beginning of the track. It isn’t gloomy because of the classic melancholic elements but because of the interlacement of tune and lyrics. Also the missing of the band’s dynamic accordion helps the listener to feel the repression.
Thought the track may look and feel like a wailful mantra but there are plenty variations in the vocal and in the instrumental and I cannot break away from these… The echo like last tunes birth an endless void in me, to be pathetic, Repeat After Me causes addiction for me.
Genre: Alternative rock/kwaito
Band: KONGOS (RSA)
Song: Repeat After Me
Album: Egomaniac (2016)
Lyrics:
Factors of nine, reduced over time
Chasing them primes, and counting rhymes
Facing the east, bread without yeast
Blind faith in the priests, and fear of some beast
Breaking of bread, eating the dead
Bowing my head, Gold out of Lead
Wearing the veil, seeking the grail
Wall where you wail, and musical scales
Candles are burned, incantations are learned
Ashes in urns, and prophets return
Adam and Eve, three days to grieve
Stoned if you don’t believe, only fuck to conceive
But it’s so hard to sign my own surrender
So hard to do what I’ve intended
So hard to leave what I’ve defended
So hard to separate what’s blended
If I could breathe, I’d be free
And I’d get high, I’d turn water to wine
If I could be, I’d breathe free at last
And I’d get high, I’d get so high
I’d get so high, if I could breathe
Five sided stars, buried or burned to a char
Fashion as law, and nailing trinkets to doors
One hundred and eight, commanded to procreate
Fasting for forty days, and death if you desecrate
Two Thousand and Twelve, ringing bells
Nine circles of hell, division by three
And seven, you see
Repeat, repeat after me, repetition is key
Repeat after me, repetition is key
The lyrics’ background: The lyrics tries to make the approach and doctrines of different religions and churches into questionable form.
What should you know about KONGOS? KONGOS is a formation of four brothers (Dylan, Daniel, Jesse, Johnny) which as I mentioned before isn’t unfamiliar for the world. Their song Come with Me Now was featured in The Expendables 3 and it had the first place on an american alter-radio channel’s list. Thought it is a huge accomplishment, but their lesser known songs are worthy to be checked out too, so you can immerse in the unusual harmony of folklore and electric tunes. Beside their lethargic lyrics, humour also gets an outstanding place in their work. They released six albums so far: Kongos (2007), Lunatic (2012), Egomaniac (2016), 1929, Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 were released in 2019. Far Away from 2020 sticks out a little bit because it is only a 6 songs EP but I didn’t want to exclude it due to its diverse tracks and complex lyrics. If they caught your attention I would recommend to check every work from them.
by: Fujimi & Shadow
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