---November 1998--

Robert Macht "Suite for Javanese Gamelan & Synthesizer" Dorian Discovery

Mr. Macht has created some very interesting Javanese gamelan textures. Now, to be perfectly honest, it's not hard for me to enjoy Javanese gamelan anyway!!! Less clangorous than Balinese gamelan, the rhythms and textures of Javanese gamelan are often enchanting and otherworldly. Various Western composers such as Steve Reich and Philip Glass (and according to the very interesting liner notes, Claude Debussy!) have sometimes incorporated a gamelan influence into their own compositions. Happily, this release is genuinely well done in that it manages to expand upon these flowing Javanese rhythms and textures without "Westernizing" insipidly or veering too far into New Age Land. As the title of this release implies, it is a combination of enchanting Javanese gamelan sensibilities and modern synthesizers, sometimes utilized in the traditional pelog and slendro scales. The synthesizer vocal melody in "Ripples" and "Wind Brings Rain" (8:38 into the song) is not quite my cup of chai (and even these aren't that bad), but otherwise, the keyboard textures enhance the mood rather than cheese it out. They're also graciously low-key and inconspicuous. As a result, the music is much more Javanese in nature than anything else. Some of the elegant simplicity in Robert's brass metallophone playing reminds me a little of a very engaging release, "Sundanese Degung-Mojang Priangan (Music of West Java)", which was put out in 1995 on Interra Records.

All the instruments on this release are deftly played by Robert except on one song, which includes an ensemble called Global Percussion. The musicianship is very impressive throughout this entire CD. It's obvious that Robert is a very gifted musician, and is quite knowledgeable about Javanese playing as well. As you may anticipate from someone who recorded all the instruments himself, it's sparser than most of your garden-variety Javanese gamalan ensembles. However, it still largely retains the personality of Javanese gamelan while having a personality all its own. All in all, a successful marriage of Eastern and modern Western influences, and a very beautiful release.

Contact: cserve@dorian.com
http://www.dorian.com

Falling You "Mercy" AdAstra Records

Massive, shimmery digital keyboard textures swirl with dirty drums, delicate piano, and dissonant rumbly noises to create a very ethereal release. Jennifer McPeak sings very long, langorous melody lines while John Michael Zorko creates dense textures with various synthesizers and drum programs. The noises and distortion one some of the keyboard pads are particularly curious, as they seem to be primarily of the digital distortion variety, and are mixed with differing elements such as whooshy vocal pads, tinkly pianos, and Jennifer's voice. The title track even incorporates a slight click from digital "overs' from the drum track!! Also on this track and less noticeably so on "Glacier", Jennifer seems to exhibit an almost rhythm and blues feel in her phrasing. Somehow, the two of them manage to make these disparate elements work, melting each song into the other to provide an almost soundtrack-like feel to the release.

The keyboard textures of "Mercy" are often thickly layered. There's also a barren, desolate feel that pervades the entire release. Lyrics such as "So in it all I end it all/forgive them all I end it all" or "Barren hands, empty threshold" or "Broken and feelings of aching, somewhere another heart breaking I know, step into the new dream" do much to enhance the desolation. The distant sustained-note vocalizations of Jennifer are particularly lovely on "Feathered", creating a feel almost as if they are trying to find their way through the fog of keyboard textures. Falling You's latest release will undoubtedly appeal quite a bit to fans of Projekt Records. 

Contact: fallingyou@adastra-records.com
http://www.adastra-records.com/fallingyou

---September 1998---

ÁMe Gusta Mœsica Afro-Peruana!

I mentioned in the Susana Baca review a while back that Afro-Peruvian music is the result of slave traders bringing African slaves to Perœ almost five hundred years ago. The music is the result of the blending of both African and Peruvian music. I just returned from a month in Perœ with some more music in this genre!! Experiencing this mœsica folkl—rica in the pe–as in Perœ was unforgettable.

No, that's not Michael Jackson...

Eva Ayllon "Musica Negra" (1998 Mediasat America, Ltd.) has noticeably more percussive elements in her music than Susana Baca, in addition to the requisite nylon acoustic guitar. The grooves are very seductive, with a very loose, relaxed sort of feel that is intoxicating. "No Valent’n," "Toro Mata" and "Ruperta" have this sort of feel, and also incorporate male background vocals in a quasi-call and response manner that reveals further African influences. Eva Ayllon seems to be extremely popular in her homeland, as I talked to quite a number of people in Lima, Puno (by Lake Titicaca), and Cusco who really liked her, and saw a multitude of posters announcing her concerts. She has a very rich, big voice that often tends to be more lively than Susana Baca. I have not seen this disc in the United States, but you may want to try your luck at some of the Latin record stores. Me gustan las obras de Eva Ayllon -- su voz esta bonito y sensual.

"Lo Mejor Del Ritmo Negro Peruano" (El Virrey Ind., Musicales S.A.) is a well-recorded compilation CD of songs between 1971 and 1985 that I heard while eating breakfast at a really cool art gallery/restaurant in Cusco called Las Se–oritas. It features more Afro-Peruvian music, as the title states, from artists such as Nicodemes Santa Cruz, Conjunto Peru Negro (singing "Lando", a popular song in Perœ that appears on other compilations by other artists), Carlos Soto, Lucila Campos, and others. It also features "Toro Mata" by Conjunto Peru Negro, with male vocals, matching Eva Ayllon's version with equal finesse. "Saca Camote Con El Pie" by Lucila Campos Con Pepe Torres y su Conjunto is somewhat reminiscent of "No Valent’n" in feel at the beginning, incorporating some lively piano playing in the background. The nylon acoustic guitars, like Eva Ayllon's, offer serpentine, earthy grooves and complement the vocals and low-key percussion beautifully. This CD is also another great Peruvian find!

Attack of the Discos Compactos Latinos, Part II

Lhasa "La Llorona" (1998 Atlantic) features a stunning voice that floors me.  The album's opener, "De Cara a la Pared", is alone worth the price of admission! What a beautiful song! Argentinean singer Lhasa De Sela has a very rich, chesty sounding voice which at times are reminiscent of Cesaria Evora, although on this release, she occasionally gets a bit too histrionic for my own personal tastes, such as on "Desde–osa" -- listen to the way she sings lines such as "por eso de llevar hasta que muera". The production, music, arrangement, and acoustic guitar playing throughout the album is very good, and comes highly recommended.

Mercedes Sosa "Gracias a la Vida" (1987 Polygram) also has a beautiful voice. This disc seems to have less earthiness, acoustic guitars, and percussion than some of the other releases that I've mentioned, and has occasional touches of keyboards and synthesizers. This wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing, except that the keyboards frequently pretty bad. But hey, obviously a lot of people seem to really like this -- she is an extremely popular international star.

Like Lhasa, Eva, Cesaria et al, she also has a big, rich voice, and in fact that she has been called "the greatest event in popular singing since Edith Piaf". I especially responded to songs such as "La Maza". "Cancion Huayno" incorporates what I'm quite certain are Andean panpipes, while "Los Bailes de la Vida" add bell-like shopping-mall keyboards, "la-la-la" background voices, and '80s drum machines -- the guy who did this cheesy arrangement needs to be slapped around. "Maria Maria" is mediocre pop at best. "Corazon De Estudiante" needs to be renamed "Schmaltz De Estudiante", with those syrupy strings and occasional Casio keyboard line. Thankfully, this release ends on a good note, with the sadly beautiful title song closing the collection out.

Purchased not in Peru but rather in Westwood, CA, Buena Vista Social Club "Buena Vista Social Club" (Nonesuch, 1998) features Ry Cooder and various all-star Cuban musicians Ibrahim Ferrer, RubŽn Gonz‡lez, Eliades Ochoa, and Compay Segundo. It's largely mid-tempo, acoustic, warm, and passionate. These veteran musicians, many of whom have been playing music since the '50s, create a music known as "son de Cuba", a slower, ensemble-based music that reflects a more relaxed atmosphere. The music is very familiar and understated, and played with a subtlety and chemistry that is quite rare. I have a feeling that this'll be in the CD player for quite some time!  Highly recommended!

Autour De Lucie "Autour De Lucie"   Nettwerk (1996) 

This is the first time I've ever used "good" and "French pop" in the same sentence. I recently saw Autour De Lucie at Luna Park, and immediately ran out and purchased both their albums. This is my favorite of the two -- in fact, in the several months since I saw them live, this disc has rarely left my CD player!!  It's largely acoustic guitar based, and the operative word is tasteful. V‡lerie Leulliot's voice and wholesome good looks are enchanting, and she has an obvious knack for strong melodies that just reel you in. The entire band creates an absolutely beautiful sound with a great amount of space. Jean-Pierre Ensuque's clean, chimey guitars just drip Vox AC30, while the rhythm section pulses along seductively. This is not unusual music by any stretch, but for some reason, it remains very distinctive. When I play Autour De Lucie, my friends can identify them within a few bars.

Area "Radio Caroline" (1987)/"The Perfect Dream" (1988) Projekt: Archive

Before The Moon Seven Times (who have unfortunately disbanded), vocalist Lynn Canfield and guitarist Henry Frayne, along with Steve Jones, played music as Area. Thanks to Projekt, we can again hear the progression that these two took in the not-so-distant past. On both these releases, Lynn's voice of course sounds alluring, although she occasionally has some minor pitch problems. Fortunately, this doesn't detract very much from the music, which is not surprisingly relatively similar to The Moon Seven Times (and that's a good thing!). Their songs have aged gracefully. This is more than I can say for some of the synth sounds, such as on "Why I Should Worry" (TPD), which sound really dated, as well as the quaint, stiff drum machine sounds -- those tiny, clipped crash cymbals are really sorry sounding. And why the crash cymbal in the otherwise gorgeous "Long Faces" (RC) are continually out of time is beyond is beyond me. However, these are small blemishes on what are otherwise enchanting releases.

What does comes shining through in the end are the songs, augmented by understated, droney guitar lines and innocent vocals. "Thread" (TPD) and "This One" (RC) are pretty, but really, so are a lot of these songs. These two releases are especially interesting for fans of The Moon Seven Times. And if you're not a fan of The Moon Seven Times -- well, what's the matter with you? Run out and buy "7=49", become a big fan of that gorgeous album, and then go back and purchase these two!!!

---June 1998---

Lackadaisy "Still Life" Ambivalent Records

Pop melancholy with relatively stark instrumentation melded with evocative lyrics.   All the music was written by Christine Vey, with the other musicians basically staying true to her musical vision.  The music has a subdued quality that lends a somewhat eerie vibe to the album on tracks such as "Up Down" and Venus Trap".  This eeriness is especially notable on "Her Name", which is both hypnotic and unsettling.  Christine's clean, moody, effected electric guitar shadings trickle over the mostly spare drumming of Sue Cole and the warm bass of Rick Walker, the latter two of which provide a steady rhythmic foundation for Christina's relaxed, anaesthetized vocals and surreal lyrics. The effect is very trancy.

Although "Still Life" doesn't really sound all that much like The Cure, for some reason this release made me think of them. Apparently, other reviewers picked up on this too, as two other reviews in their press kit made references to The Cure as well.  Nevertheless, Lackadaisy have a voice completely their own, and this collection of songs and their live shows are worth experiencing.  I look forward to future music from Lackadaisy!

Contact: 412 Darwin St, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
global@cruzio.com


Love Spirals Downwards "Flux" Projekt Records

On this release, Love Spirals Downwards augment their dreamy, ethereal guitar and vocals with updated electronic techno and drum 'n' bass rhythms and textures. "Alicia" is an interesting direction for vocalist Suzanne Perry and guitarist Ryan Lum (who also plays synths, samplers, computers, and beats), melding their sound with a more Latin feel. Rodney Rodriguez completes the Latin feel with his nylon guitar solo. Guest vocalists include Suzanne's sister Kristen Perry on "Ring" and "Psyche", and the return of Jennifer Ryan Fuller on "Sunset Bell", an ambient, softly pulsing remix of the version that appeared on "Ardor". Unlike its cloudier, diffused predecessor, the new version of "Sunset Bell" allows you to actually hear Fuller's voice directly!

"Flux" still sounds like the Love Spirals Downwards that we know and love. However, it is a departure for them sonically in that the guitar seems less prominent, and the whole feel, texture, and rhythms are more electronic in nature.

---May 1998---

The Violet Hour "Galdr" Gloaming Music
The Violet Hour widen their sonic palette with their first full-length CD, expanding on the moody atmospheres explored in their previous cassette releases. Vocalist Judy Neubauer's strong sense of melody and vulnerability are spellbinding, and Torin Monahan's lyrical fretless bass playing is an uncommon treat.

This time out, The Violet Hour navigate through desolate soundscapes with "Nadir", utilizing a stark low-end bass and drum pulse to augment eerily beautiful vocals. Opening song "Pray" recalls "Disintegration"-era Cure with its epic grandeur, sense of dynamics, and the shimmering guitars of Stuart Crawford-Browne. The enchanting "Sleep" is a mesmerizing song that slow-builds from plaintive guitar picking and cymbal washes to a cinematic implosion. On "Sleep" and elsewhere, the vocals exude a very confident sense of melody.

The layered guitars of Judy, as well as Torin and Stuart, often provide a haunting, surreal quality to the songs. Scott Aguero's drumming is also quite lyrical, ranging between tribal tom rhythms and open high-hat rock drumming to subtle grooves and cymbal fills. Together with Torin's inventive bass grooves, the two provide an interesting rhythmic bed for this collection of strong compositions.  Their moods and shades are evocative, but it's ultimately the Violet Hour's fine compositions that draw me in.



Grimble Grumble "Om Mani Padme Hum" Burnt Hair Records
At times possessing a simple starkness and brooding quality at times reminiscent of a much more dynamic Low, Grimble Grumble create low-key, introspective sort of rock which is often surprising in its accessibility. The four-piece band frequently uses hushed, anaesthetized female vocals amidst clean, delayed guitar strums, delayed guitar feedback, equally effected single-note guitar melodies, and the occasional sample. The two guitarists create a dense, hazy, swirling miasma of beautiful fog that is at times reminiscent of Flying Saucer Attack or Windy & Carlos.  The bedrock for these swirling guitars are eighth-note pulsing bass grooves and some seductive drum rhythms, both elegant in their inherent simplicity.

Grimble Grumble also has a very powerful and refreshing sense of dynamics, sometimes going from hushed musical passages to distorted feedback and bashing drums. Although this 3-song 10" is delicious and rewards repeated listenings, there's nothing quite like experiencing the dynamics and mesmerizing beauty of the band live.  What makes it even more rewarding is that the band members are incredibly nice people.  And how can you not love a band named after a gnome from a Pink Floyd song?

Contact:  Burnt Hair Records, POB 5519, Dearborn, Michigan 48128
Contact:  Grimble Grumble, 9922 S. Exchange, Chicago IL 60617-5448

Voyager: Vibration Visitations For an Ambient Species (compilation)  AdAstra Records
Interesting electronic ambient collection. Consistent throughout, this AdAstra release features Saul Stokes' "Ivaneer" as a droney opening cut, with synthesiser arpeggios and dirty, sparse drums coming in and out of the mix. Falling You "When Will It End" is somewhat Gothic ambient, featuring pretty vocals courtesy of Jennifer McPeak and John Michael Zorko's ethereal synthesisers, piano, and sparse drums, before entering into some heady sounding drones/synthesiser pitchbends during the second half. This song is something that fans of This Ascension would really enjoy.

I have a special weakness for mysterious, droney ambience. Viridian Sun offers up the rumbly "Artiai", somewhat reminiscent of Lustmord in parts, and evoking a very dark, surreal machines-at-work ambience (perhaps my favorite cut on this CD); Falling You with its open-filtered keyboard drone and beautiful church-like female vocalisations; and Lycia, with a relatively dirty-sounding"Dome". Lycia has the harshest track on this collection, although it's hardly Merzbow. Life Garden continues the drones in a fairly mysterious vein, with female vocalisations reminiscent of of a rather unsettling evening at the cathedral. Falling You follows up with "Solace", which is again droney with female vocalisations, moody and calmer than the Life Garden track.

The compilation takes a slightly different turn with Exit, a sparse track of effected (actually, mangled and pitchshifted!) vocals and very sparse keyboard rhythms. For some reason, Exit makes me think of Wire, even though they don't sound very much like them. Lead has a lone bass groove, almost jazzy, with spare single-note keyboard melodies floating and Martin Luther King/JFK/Neil Armstrong samples floating above it. Gone Postal has an interestingly tweaked rhythm track run through their effects processor blender. John Michael Zorko has a very pretty instrumental ambient track with piano that almost veers toward a more New Age side of ambient music, sounding downright inspirational in an Easter sunrise service sort of manner with "Ocean Calling". Ambient Temple of Imagination follows with an equally uplifting number, complete with occasional bird calls and choir keyboard patches amidst synthesiser drones in "Olympiads of Thelema", ending with a thunder shower. The disc ends with Larry Kucharz' "Cosmology", also utilising string and choir synthesiser pads, and also veering closer to the New Agey side of ambience.

My favorite part of the disc is the middle part (which in this case is most of the disc!), as I like the drones and some of the interesting rhythmic tracks that follow. This collection offers several different views of electronic ambient music, yet is successful in maintaining a flow, crucial to ambient releases of any sort, compilation or not.

Contact:  AdAstra Records, POB 2342 Streetsboro, OH 44241 USA
adastra-records@adastra-records.com
AdAstra Records Web Site

--- April 1998 ---

Oval "Dok" Thrill Jockey
My friend came into my studio one day and heard some music that I was working on. Coming from my speakers was some electronic ambient music, with a lot of distant street noises, radio static, hum, pops, ticks, crackles, messed-up edits, glitches, and digital noise and grime. He smiled and said that I absolutely had to hear Oval "Dok", and loaned me their CD the next day. After listening to it just once, I realized that this is some of the best electronic ambient music I've ever heard. Repeated, repeated, repeated listenings have confirmed this -- this disc has been in my CD player ever since (for people who are cooler than I am, there is also a 12"). What is incredible is that despite all these references to ordinarily ugly noises, "Dok" is oddly beautiful and dreamy.

Fortunately, Oval doesn't sound very much like the dirty electronic ambient stuff I am working on -- whew! However, they do share some descriptive similarities in that both have static, pops, and the like. Subliminal voices loop and repeat in the distance. Glitches and pops repeat, creating interesting patterns while sometimes dirty yet dreamy notes calmly rise and fall and/or loop. Undefinable source material drifts in and out of the mix, sometimes suddenly. Song titles such as "polygon medpack 2.0" and "standard audio frontend" suggest fun minds at work. Christophe Charles adds who-knows-what to Oval's sound, but I can tell you that I definitely prefer this to Oval's 1996 Thrill Jockey release, "Systemisch", although that is a really strong collection of dirty ditties as well. I am absolutely in love with "Dok", and recommend that you run to your nearest independent record store and buy this right now if my attempt at description sounds even remotely appealing. It doesn't matter if it's 3:00 a.m. -- wait outside the store if you have to -- it's worth it.


C4AM95 "III" Frenetic Records
The Champs (C4AM95) are composed of two guitarists and a drummer, and take a stab at some heavy '70s hard rock/'80s metal riffs, albeit with a nudge and a wink. Oddly, the absence of a bass player seems to go completely unnoticed. Armed with a really great musical sense of humor, their music is crammed with heavy pentatonic riffs (think Metallica, Iron Maiden, Motley Crue, Judas Priest, semi-metallic prog-rock...), on-the-dime stops, tempo changes, guitar squeals, chunky chords, occasional cheesy analog synthesizers, and interspersed through it all, lots of harmonic riffing -- what fun! The guitars are ably performed by Tim Green, replacing Adam Cantwell, and Josh Smith, with Tim Soete providing solid rock drumming with the occasional double-pedal kick drum.  This release does a good job of capturing the feel of their live shows.

I've had the opportunity to see The Champs live several times now, both earlier with Adam, and most recently at The Smell in Los Angeles with Tim Green. Up in Santa Cruz, they performed some huge magnum opus that was about twenty-five minutes in length, with dizzying riff and tempo changes throughout the entire song, inserting riffs from Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir"! They've since moved to San Francisco, and are attracting an increasingly large following there and in Los Angeles.

Their 1994 cassette release, 'Music For Films About Rock," (with a scene from "The Killers" gracing the cover) also has a similar approach to that of the CD/double LP being reviewed here. However, it's a lot rougher and cruder sonically, having been recorded with a cassette 4-track. The cassette features Tim Soete on glockenspiels, and also features a fun cover of Motley Crue's "Merry Go Round". Both releases also include some vocals (although not very much -- The Champs are primarily instrumental) and Korg analog keyboards.

With song titles such as "Now Is the Winter of our Discoteque" (sic), "Dale Bozzio", "Andres Segovia Interests Me",  and even the requisite "The Golden Pipes Trilogy" (with the requisite three parts -- every good '70s nod should include at least one trilogy!), the band obviously approaches their fuzzy riffs with their tongue firmly planted in cheek. However, it's their obvious love for this sort of music and their fine execution that makes it work.

Frenetic Records, PO Box 640434, San Francisco, CA 94164-0434

Seely "Seconds" Too Pure/Beggars Banquet
Seely delivers some very spacey pop with this cool follow-up to 1996's "Julie Only", also on Too Pure. Anaesthetized boy/girl harmonies, elliptical bass, and some equally elliptical guitar arpeggios all com together to complete an interestingly hazy ambience. Somewhat perplexing is Eric Taylor's drumming on "Like White", alternately adding some lift with his kinetic jazzlike drumming, but then turning around and banging out some rather stoopid triplet snare and tom hits. Lori Scacco and Steven Satterfield's breathy glue-buzz vocals can be particularly striking, notably when their harmonies intertwine. "Seconds" also combines single-note portamento synthesizer melodies and Space Age Bachelor Pad xylophones, adding a little cheek and cheese to the music's trance-like atmosphere. With this release, Seely has created the perfect soundtrack for painting the room with all your windows closed.

Probably the first Seely review to not mention Stereolab. Oooops.

---  February 1998 ---

Kevin Hufnagel "While I Wait" 3 song cassette
A collection of stark, dynamic, moody solo guitar pieces. The opening acoutic guitar piece, "While I Wait" exhibits a bit of Kevin's classical guitar influence, although it veers into a more dynamic rhythmic strum at the end that is somewhat reminiscent of Michael Hedges' "Breakfast in the Fields" (Michael Hedges is arguably one the most startlingly original and dynamic acoustic guitar players, and I'm deeply saddened by his death). "Glass Prison" is a beautifully picked, melancholy song which, like the first song, also has tempo and dynamic changes.

The piece de resistance is the extremely evocative "Before Sleep", which opens with beautifully layered acoustic guitar strums and ambient electric guitar notes before slowly entering into some very moody acoustic guitar arpeggios layered with spacious, sustaining electric guitar lines that sometimes recombine harmonically. The song is dynamic, spacious, desolate, and quite hypnotic.

Kevin has studied classical guitar with acclaimed instructor Bill Viola (teacher of famous classical guitarist Elliot Fisk), jazz guitar, and has played in bands that combined elements of classical, folk, ambient, and avant-garde. Varied backgrounds and interests frequently make for more interesting music, and that holds true with Kevin's music.   Also, although Kevin has quite a bit of dexterity on his instrument, he still chooses to use his technique with restraint and good taste, which is quite refreshing.

You can send away for this tape by sending $3.00 (US -- $4.00 everywhere else) to Kevin at the address below. The music was recorded at Assembly Line Studios, and the recording is high quality. And think about it -- it's only three bucks for you to get really good music, support an independent artist, and build great karma -- all simultaneously! How can you lose?

Contact:  15238 Cedar Knoll Ct., Dumfries, VA 22026  USA
gdblue@erols.com
http://home.earthlink.net/~euclidstreet/kev.htm

Susana Baca "Susana Baca" Luaka Bop/Warner Bros
Susana Baca grew up in the black neighborhood of Chomillos, just outside Lima, Peru. Her sultry blend of Afro-Peruvian music has curiously been shunned by Peruvian record and radio executives for three decades. In the face of this, er,   "black"-balling, Baca chose to release her own music by forming her own record label. She remained committed to preserving the music of her country's black population, descendants of African slaves brought to South America over five hundred years ago.

The exposure of Baca's music in the United States has largely been due to a compilation put together by former Talking Head David Byrne in the Luaka Bop's 1995 release The Soul of Black Peru. Byrne also signed her to do this very album that you are now reading about.

Background's all fine and good, but what does it sound like? To lapse into the usual making-comparisons-to-other-artists thing, some points of reference for me would be Cesaria Evora and the lovely music of Argentinian Mercedes Sosa. There is a fair range of songs here. "Heces" ("Sediment") is a gorgeous, sensual ballad accompanied by the tasteful acoustic guitar playing of Felix Casaverde, and includes lyrics such as:

     Mis violentas flores negras
     Y barbara y enorme pedrada; y el trecho glacial
     Y pondra el silencio de su dignidad
     Con oleos quemantes el punto final.

     My violent black blooms
     And the savage stone, and frozen distances.
     And your silent dignity
     Will put an end with burning oils

Other songs, such as "Negra Presentuosa" ("Pretentious Black Girl") back Baca's cool vocals with some very tasteful percussion and acoustic guitar. Many of the songs, such as the aforementioned two, have a melancholy, minimal feel, melding typically sad Andean melodies with the poignancy of flamenco guitar. Other songs, such as "Se Me Van Los Pies" have a more Afro-dance oriented feel, with a more "saucy", playful sort of delivery at the chant ending. All in all, a very beautiful collection of music.



Iriana Milhailova "Russian Twilight" Well-Tempered Productions
Pretty, ethereal music from chanteuse Irina Milhailova from Kazakhstan, a Central Asian republic of the former Soviet Union. Her music reflects the diverse ethnicities in Kazakhstan, and you can hear Middle Eastern, Asian, and Russian influences clearly in her music. The album opens with a plaintive steel drum. Milhailova's pretty high voice, somewhat reminiscent of Faye Wong (reviewed here as well) in places, enters ethereally, and is soon after joined by a sitar, cello, and Persian zarb, all while the equally ethereal steel drum continues to set the backdrop. Very tasteful and pretty. Elsewhere on the album, "Zarya" is just Milhailova's voice and cello. The entire album is a potpourri of worldly influences, especially instrumentally; however, the mood and flow remain very consistent throughout this very pretty collection of songs. My guess is that fans of Dead Can Dance would just eat this up; personally, I think it's much more compelling than DCD. The cover and packaging leave a little something to be desired, but hey, you're buying the thing for the music, ain'tcha?




Dadawa "Voices From the Sky" Sire Records
Last time I reviewed Dadawa in these very pages, I gave it a scathing review. Undaunted, Sire Records has sent Muse Magazine (with this review reprinted here for your amusement) a promotional copy of the Chinese superstar's follow up to Sister Drum, in which she rejoins He Xuntian for another foray into Tibetan-inspired music that "knows no borders".

But let's skip to the chase -- what's Dadawa's music like this time around? It's pretty in a New Agey sort of way, and not nearly as obnoxiously pretentious as its Yanni-like predecessor. Again, Asian-lite touches abound. Flutes twitter and twirl, the occasional bombastic ritual drum samples filter in, and "Ballad of Lhasa" even has children singing the chorus in unison (Chinese pop music incorporates children singing in unison quite a lot). "Seven Drums" is a sprightly, upbeat song that showcases a more rhythmic style of singing for Dadawa, as well as some rather strange interjections of embarrassingly bad keyboard sounds, Chinese banjo, acoustic guitar, and what sounds like a harmonica occasionally. "Himalayans" starts off with the requisite "mountain yodeling" before entering into a rather pretty ethereal piece that is somewhat reminiscent of Faye Wong collaborating with the Cocteau Twins (again, see the Faye Wong review elsewhere in these pages!).

"The Sixth Dalai Lama's Love Song", and also the sixth song on this disc (how 'bout that??) is about one of the most colorful of the Dalai Lamas. In what is a rather involved story, the sixth Dalai Lama was chosen rather late in the game, and unlike most other Dalai Lamas who were groomed early on for their role as leader, the sixth Dalai Lama was a bit of an oddity. He was a carefree, frivolous character whose love of the outdoors and pretty young ladies overshadowed his desire for strict training and monastic life. He frequently wandered the streets of Lhasa, drinking chang (Tibetan barley beer) and singing love songs:

     Longing for the landlord's daughter blossoming in youthful beauty
     Is like pining for peaches ripening on the high peach trees.

Despite his rather unpious leanings, he was and is one of Tibet's most beloved and tragic incarnations of the Dalai Lama (he was believed to have been murdered at an early age), and Tibetans to this day still sing his melodious songs. In light of this interesting background information, how does Dadawa interpret this wild character? Honestly, I have no idea, as I don't speak Mandarin! Just thought I'd share! "The Sixth Dalai Lama's Love Song" does end in a big rousing unison chorus-crowd sing-along, which I suppose is uplifting if you like that sort of thing. I don't.

So, to wrap this up, how does Dadawa fare this time out musically? He Xuntian has jettisoned much of the bombast, and consequently, this disc doesn't make me cringe like the previous outing did. It doesn't hit you over the head with overblown histrionics, and this makes it much more listenable than the Sister Drum digital drink coaster. There are some very pretty moments on this disc, and Dadawa certainly is a very gifted singer with a very pretty voice. It doesn't sound a darn thing like Tibetan music, but instead owes its musicality to the sort of pop which wafts from Beijing tour buses. To be fair, though, by Mandarin candy-pop standards, Dadawa is adventurous. This disc doesn't do a thing for me; however, if you feel that a meld between Dadawa's Tibet-inspired Mandarin pop and New Age electronics sounds appealing, then I suppose Tower Records has something special in store for you.

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