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Various Artists - African Scream Contest 2A great compilation can open the gate to another world. Who knew that some of the most exciting Afro funk records of all time were actually made in the small West African country of Benin? Once Analog Africa released the first African Scream Contest in 2008, the proof was there for all to hear, gut busting yelps, lethally welldrilled horn sections and irresistibly insistent rhythms added up to a record that took you into its own space with the same
A great compilation can open the gate to another world. Who knew that some of the most exciting Afro-funk records of all time were actually made in the small West African country of Benin? Once Analog Africa released the first African Scream Contest in 2008, the proof was there for all to hear, gut-busting yelps, lethally welldrilled horn sections and irresistibly insistent rhythms added up to a record that took you into its own space with the same electrifying sureness as any favourite blues or soul or funk or punk sampler you might care to mention.Ten years on, intrepid crate-digger Samy Ben Redjeb unveils a new treasuretrove of Vodoun-inspired Afrobeat heavy funk crossover greatness. Right from the laceratingly raw guitar fanfare which kicks off Les Sympathics’ pile-driving opener, it’s clear that African Scream Contest II is going to be every bit as joyous a voyage of discovery as its predecessor. And just as you’re trying to get off the canvas after this one-punch knock out, an irresistible Afro-ska romp with a more than subliminal echo of the Batman theme puts you right back there. Ignace De Souza and the Melody Aces’ “Asaw Fofor" would’ve been a killer instrumental but once you’ve factored in the improbably-rich-to-the-point-of-being-Nat-King-Cole-influenced lead vocal, it’s a total revelation.
The screaming does not stop there, in fact it’s only just beginning. But the strange thing about African Scream Contest II’s celebration of unfettered Beninese creativity is that it would not have been possible without the assistance of a musician who had been trained by the Russian secret services to "search and destroy" enemies of the country’s (then) Marxist-Leninist president Mathieu Kerekou.
Already familiar to fans of the first African Scream Contest as a mainstay of ruthlessly disciplined military band Les Volcans de la Capitale, Lokonon André vanished in a cloud of dust at Ben Redjeb’s behest with a list of names and some petrol money, only to return a few days later having miraculously tracked down every single name he’d been given. The source of this Afrobeat bounty-hunter’s impressive people-finding skills - his training with the KGB - highlights the tension between encroaching authoritarian politics and fearless expressions of personal creative freedom which is the back-story of so much great African music of the 60s and 70s. Happily, in this instance, Lokonon was tracking the artists down to offer them licensing deals, rather than to arrest them.
Where some purveyors of vintage African sounds seem to be strip-mining the continent’s musical heritage with no less rapacious intent than the mining companies and colonial authorities who previously extracted its mineral wealth, Samy Ben Redjeb’s determination to track this amazing music to its human sources pays huge karmic dividends.
Like every other Analog Africa release, African Scream Contest II is illuminated by meticulously researched text and effortlessly fashion-forward photography supplied by the artists themselves. Looming large - alongside Lokonon André - in the cast of biopic-worthy characters to emerge from this seductive tropical miasma is visionary space-nerd Bernard Dohounso, who laid the foundations for Benin’s vinyl predominance by importing and assembling the turntables that would play the products of his Bond villain-acronymed pressing plant SATEL, a factory that would revolutionise the music industry in the whole region.
The scene documented here couldn’t have been born anywhere else but in the Benin Republic , and the prime reason for that is Vodoun. It’s one of the world’s most complex religions, involving the worship of some 250 divinities, where each divinity has its own specific set of rhythms, and the bands introduced on the African Scream Contest series and other compilations from that country were no less diverse than that army of different Gods. At once restless pioneers and masters of the art of modernising their own folklore, the mystic sound of Vodoun was their prime source of inspiration.
One especially irascible Vodoun-adept was Antoine Dougbe, who styled himself “The devil’s prime minister” while turning ancestral rhythms into satanically alluring modern beats. As Orchestre Poly-Rythmo songwriter Pynasco has observed sagely, “Evil is not elsewhere, evil extends into the house”. And African Scream Contest II is a gloriously cinematic road-trip through an undiscovered realm of music lore whose familiarity is every bit as thrilling as its otherness.
Written by Ben Thomson, March 2018
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★★★★★ 5
Comfortable from the first night
Size: Queen - Pack of 2, Style: Medium, Configuration: Pillow
I found them comfortable and with good support for the head and neck. They are wide in size and feel soft when lying down. After several days of use they continue to retain their shape without problem.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 6, 2026
★★★★★ 4
Not as Firm as I had hoped
Size: Queen - Pack of 2, Style: Medium, Configuration: Pillow
A good pillow.
However, there is quite a difference between the manufacturer's and my idea of "medium firmness". I found this pillow much softer than I had anticipated.
I'll have to go for firmer for my next purchase.
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Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2025
★★★★★ 5
I admit when I was wrong.
Size: Queen - Pack of 2, Style: Medium, Configuration: Pillow
3/29/26 - I took the pillows and put them in my dryer on steam refresh for the default 10 minute cycle.
OMG - they fluffed up and evened out to be soft and comfortable, no lumps whatsoever. If you like a soft pillow with some support, but not firm support, THIS is what you want. I am truly amazed.
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Previous review---They arrived in a vacuum seal bag. When you cut the bag and they inflate, they inflate lumpy like. Some areas are thick and some have to fill so, not very good. I am going to try washing them and drying them to see if they fluff up better.
Will post the results in a day or two.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2026
★★★★★ 3
Immediate neck and back pain
Size: Queen - Pack of 2, Style: Medium, Configuration: Pillow
Nice full pillows that holds its shape, BUT was NOT good head and neck support. I noticed an immediate difference. From non existent to growing neck pain in the first night’s use, through the week.
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Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2026
★★★★★ 5
Soft and comfortable
Size: Queen - Pack of 2, Style: Medium, Configuration: Pillow
These pillows are incredibly soft and comfortable. They provide great support while still feeling plush and cozy. I’ve been sleeping much better since I started using them.
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Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2026