A wonderfully hard-to-categorize album from the start of the 80s – a Mexican record that mixes folkloric roots with electronic instrumentation – but all in a way that sounds much more ancient than you'd expect for the time! The fusion of modes here is wonderful – almost at a level that reminds us of some of the Graeme Revell experiments of the mid 80s, or some of the more organic electronics from Japan – as the whole thing feels a lot more acoustic than electric, with a wonderful blend of woody sounds, percussion, and other great elements. Titles include "In Altepetal Tonal", "I Pan In Xiktli Metztli", "Xochiyaoyoloh", and "Ketzalkoatl Yauh Miktlan". (Latin, Global Grooves)CD
A wonderfully hard-to-categorize album from the start of the 80s – a Mexican record that mixes folkloric roots with electronic instrumentation – but all in a way that sounds much more ancient than you'd expect for the time! The fusion of modes here is wonderful – almost at a level that reminds us of some of the Graeme Revell experiments of the mid 80s, or some of the more organic electronics from Japan – as the whole thing feels a lot more acoustic than electric, with a wonderful blend of woody sounds, percussion, and other great elements. Titles include "In Altepetal Tonal", "I Pan In Xiktli Metztli", "Xochiyaoyoloh", and "Ketzalkoatl Yauh Miktlan". (Latin, Global Grooves)LP, Vinyl record album
Highly percussive sounds from the kingdom of Buganda – an area that predates the formation of modern day Uganda, and which has an equally ancient sound to its music! The work here is served up on a variety of instruments – percussion, drums, flutes, and stringed instruments – but there seems to be a unifying approach throughout, as all of the cuts have a fast-moving sort of intensity, which also seems to inspire the vocals with similar energy – very different than most other East African work that we've heard, and with a special quality that feels very timeless, even though most of these recordings are from the postwar years! A great discovery of this overlooked tradition – with selections from Albert Bisao Sssempke, Erusana Lutwana & Budo African Music Club, Evaristo Muyinda, Kopolyano Kyobo, Kalema Hassan Katipa, and Semuwemba George William. LP, Vinyl record album
(Limited 2021 issue on purple vinyl. Cover has a hype sticker.)
A wonderfully hard-to-categorize album from the start of the 80s – a Mexican record that mixes folkloric roots with electronic instrumentation – but all in a way that sounds much more ancient than you'd expect for the time! The fusion of modes here is wonderful – almost at a level that reminds us of some of the Graeme Revell experiments of the mid 80s, or some of the more organic electronics from Japan – as the whole thing feels a lot more acoustic than electric, with a wonderful blend of woody sounds, percussion, and other great elements. Titles include "In Altepetal Tonal", "I Pan In Xiktli Metztli", "Xochiyaoyoloh", and "Ketzalkoatl Yauh Miktlan". (Latin, Global Grooves)LP, Vinyl record album