Over a decade in the making, Abantu / Before Humans is a retro-futurist prequel to BLK JKS’s momentous 2009 debut After Robots. Amongst a flurry of trumpets, brass, horns, and guitars, the art-rockers widen their palette alongside esteemed guests Madala Kunene, Money Mark, Vieux Farka Touré, Morena Leraba, and Ali Magassa. These matchups pair their Afrocentric manifesto with cascading takes on jazz, post-apocalyptic funk, dub, desert blues, and prog rock.