Mandela Effect is the second remix album by American musician Gonjasufi (Sumach Ecks), released by record label Warp in 2017. His collaborators include underground hip-hop group Shabazz Palaces, Daddy G from Massive Attack, and Nigerian percussionist Tony Allen. The album contains 16 tracks—remixes from his previous album "Callus" as well as several originals and collaborations. The title refers to the phenomenon of false memories which are shared by numerous people, dubbed the "Mandela effect" by some in reference to mistaken memories of the death of Nelson Mandela before he became president of South Africa.
Reception.
At Metacritic, that assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 69, based on four reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews".
Andy Cush of "Spin" stated "Gonjasufi’s psychedelic blasts of bass and spiritual noise have always been disorienting–the kind of music that might impels you to check your headphone jack to make sure everything is plugged in correctly, or "is it really supposed to sound like that?" Now, he’s applying his off-kilter sensibility to release formats as well... The name is probably instructive in terms of how Gonjasufi wants "The Mandela Effect" to be received: as a relic from another reality that diverges from "Callus" in some ways but reflects it in others. Trippy." Paul Carr of "PopMatters" added "It is incredibly difficult to make remix albums hang together well and Mandela Effect is no different. There is a distinct absence of flow to the album as each reinterpretation proves to be so radically different. Nonetheless, each guest adds something memorable with certain songs arguably more powerful than the originals. Impressively, the whole thing retains the angular peril and stifling claustrophobia of the original but with slightly more light and shade. As an alternate version of his "Callous" [sic] album, it is one well worth remembering."
Paul Simpson of "AllMusic" commented "Mandela Effect is certainly more varied than "Callus" (which, like all Gonjasufi releases, is a heady mix of styles itself), and while it isn't exactly lighter or more listener-friendly, it often seems to get its messages across in more intriguing ways". Nathan Westley of "The Line of Best Fit" noted "At its heart, "Mandela Effect" is an exploration of texture, something made most evident on the abstract hip hop which lays at the burning central core of Shabazz Palaces' reworked version of "Afrikan Spaceship" – a track centred around an intermittent bass-driven rhythm and motorcycle samples. King Britt's take on the same song however sees it arrive in a dub-touched trenchcoat. In all, it's pretty confusing. But with "Mandela Effect", Gonjasufi has created a truly stimulating album that will be quite unlike any other released this year."
References.
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