maarts' musical dark matters

2011-03-27T13:24:00.002+11:00

Your reporter captured by a tribe of Papuans...fortunately a very nice bunch of them.

One of the highlights of the festival is the All Star Jam where one of te festival's participants chooses artists to perform an hour long musical session with...this year's curator was Nitin Sawhney who managed to get the best of the combined efforts of ScrapArts Metal, qawwali-singer Faiz Ali Faiz, the versatile 17 Hippies, Nigerian soul singer Asa and Horace Andy.

Festival closing main event was Juan De Marcos' Afro-Cuban All Stars...tight as a gnat's ass and creamy!

The last notes of the festival came by the voice of Faiz Ali Faiz, the heir apparent of the late great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan...an amazing powerful voice that danced around the percussion, harmonium and chants of his 6-piece band with consummate ease...his delivery of the classic Mustt Mustt would have met with approval from his great predecessor.

A great end to a fantastic festival!

WOMADelaide 2011 Day 4

2011-03-27T13:24:00.001+11:00

Tanya Tagaq, an Inuit throat singer who performed with Kronos Quartet and Bjork explains her art in a workshop- darkly guttural and esoterically beautiful wrapped in one feisty package.

Amiable Adelaidian Adam Page, a true-life one man-band brings his multi-looped version of world music to an enthousiastic crowd...

The ladies of DakhaBrakha bringing ethno-chaos to traditional Ukrainian folk melodies. Oh, there's a bloke too but oh well....

Ash Grunwald, another young man well schooled in the art of surfie blues-music performs live on radio station ABC's broadcast.

Whaddayamean, monkey on my back?

....and this is the life...slumming under a big ole tree listening to the folksy sounds of renowned Aussie combo The Gadflys.

2011-03-27T13:23:00.003+11:00

The amazing Os Mutantes treating the slightly puzzled crowd to a heady mix of psychosamba 'n roll. Bat Macumba got the booties rolling massively!

The Maori-warriors of Whitieira Performing Arts are fearsome but don't mess with their women either!

Sunset amongst the flags was spectacular....

Afro Celt Sound System were the main attraction on the big stage- big beats with some rock 'n roll kora 'n percussion amongst the DJ-generated drum 'n bass....thundering over the steppes.

And closing off with the surreal Necks bringing their slowly shifting avantgardistic noise to an adventurous days' end of entertainment.

WOMADelaide 2011- Day 3

2011-03-27T13:23:00.001+11:00

Day 3

The weather was quite different- gusty winds with a fresh bite about it and the threat of rain- autumnal weather.
To warm up the Creole Choir of Cuba treated work shop visitors to some dancing lessons...

The Irish arrived in the form of the Alan Kelly Quartet to give a bit of shamrock cheer to the masses.....

Making their first appearance ever outside of their village of Tate in the Southern Highlands of Papua New Guinea, the Huri Duna Dancers entertained the crowd with their unique chants and costumes (the head gear is made of hair!).

70-year old Calypso Rose brought 'plenty of sugar' in a highly entertaining and sexy set of Trinidadian goodness!

Local Aboriginal troubadour Archie Roach and his sons played a moving set of classic songs...the empty chair next to him representing his late wife Ruby Hunter which brought out a lot of emotions out of the veteran.

If you think the day went on slowly, spare a thought for this performer then.....

2011-03-26T19:45:00.002+11:00

Plenty of shopping available, even well past 6PM.

The night brings out the stars- like Amadou & Mariam who leave me slightly underwhelmed with their big-ass Afro-sound.

CD-signing sessions are fun too, like here with the indomitable Imelda May who was fantastic.

The last strains of a long, warm, great day- Indian flautist Rajendra Prasanna goes all Ian Anderson on our ass.

2011-03-26T19:45:00.001+11:00

Yasar Akpence Harem'De- a masterful Turkish percussion ensemble. Some may have found it too loud though.

The women of the Pitjitjantjara-tribe gathered in story and song.

The inimitable Bob Brozman and his ensemble. A lesson in slide 'n hula that leaves everyone breathless.

Strolling in the big park is great by itself- hearing the bloody motherfucking Martha Wainwright is that too.

WOMADelaide 2011- Day 2

2011-03-26T19:43:00.000+11:00

Day 2

Searching for some shade in 32 degree heat. A big Moreton Bay figtree helps a lot.

Some strange characters stroll around the park too. Poultry or French act Le Phun bringing the seminal people of Les Gumes (French for vegetables) to life. Quietly comical.

Canadian act ScrapArts Metal bring an energetic percussional act onstage with drums all made of scrap wood, metals and plastic.

Switching gears- from the eclectic folk/gipsy/cabaret-act 17 Hippes from Berlin to the serene classical harp of Marshall McGuire in one moment.

Cooking lesson, courtesy of the Creole Choir Of Cuba....traditional recipes and song dished up in the kitchen.

2011-03-26T19:42:00.000+11:00

Wildbirds & Peacedrums With Voices- from Gothenburg- atmospheric art pop at its best.

DJ Norman Jay MBE brings reggae, ska, dub and dance at the very end of night

WOMADelaide 2011- a photo diary

2011-03-26T19:41:00.000+11:00

Day 1

From top to bottom:

Opening welcoming ceremony by the local Aboriginal tribe, the official opening of the festival.

Flags of the APY-lands- Tjurkurpa Mulapa Tjukarita- Sky flags depicting a Dreamtime-story from the Pitjintjantara-people of Central Australia

Rango- from Egypt and the Sudan- eclectic and highly entertaining

A workshop by Ukrainian outfit Dakhabrakha. Eastern European chants with a slightly Gothic vibe at times.

The decoration in the huge trees in the wonderful Botanic Gardens of Adelaide.

Horace Andy & Dub Asante. Massive mon!

WOMADelaide 2010 part 4

2011-03-26T19:38:00.000+11:00

Monday (the final day)

It's for the first time that WOMAD's been going for 4 days so this will be a new experience for tired limbs and a brain still trying to digest the first three days of amazing impressions..
The opening workshop Women's Voices is in celebration of today's International Women Day and features some of the singers at the festival, including Mariem Hassan, Marina Abad of Ojos De Brujo and Danielle Caurana (Mama Kin)...hosted by a radio-presenter it looks a bit dysfunctional as the interpreters are simply invited to sing a song one at a time- much later when there's an interactive piece performed on percussion, led by Hassan and two of her band members there's finally a feeling what this workshop was meant to be. The presenter points correctly out that these women probably never will share a stage again; had there been a little planning there would have been an unique cross-cultural event taking place amongst these fine artists. An opportunity missed.

In the visual and musical-art department you'll find Strange Fruit or the art of bell ringing on swaypoles. Perched atop 4 metre high flexible poles of original design, five members of the troupe deliver a sublime performance, bending and swaying in the air, captivating and engaging the audience, using mallets to ring bells and gongs attached to poles on a variety of distances away from the ringers who have to stretch and sway to reach them...it's mesmerising to see how the group reaches the bells in time with the music played on two xylophones situated on the ground below. Worthy of the mighty Cirque.

Tim Finn needs no introduction....this Kiwi's like an honorary Aussie and he brings the crowd many classics from the Split Enz/Crowded House-era with a good helping of some of his solo-material too. The crowd's swept away in the feelgood-tunes the same way the wind sweeps with gale force through the ancient trees in the Gardens....

An interesting combo follows....Japanese blues-slide guitarist George Kamikawa teams up with formidable shamisen-player Noriko Tadano. Both artists recently moved from their native Japan to live in Australia and their English communication with the audience is funny and entertaining...and they cap it off with some great interplay. The shamisen is a Japanese version of the banjo only with fewer strings and less notes to play with- it requires quite some improvisational skill from Tadano to play solos which she does incredibly well. Kamikawa is an excellent slide-player, complete with harmonica he rocks the crowd with classics like Shake Your Money Maker and his own songs like the delicately titled Sake Blues. The marriage gets really interesting when Tadano interprets classical Japanese music in this blues-style, creating a formidable hybrid that proves the adaptability of blues in many cultures. Highly entertaining and very danceable, rightly a hit with the ever increasing crowd at the stage.

One of the top attractions for the many young people in the crowd without doubt is Australian Xavier Rudd. A favorite with the many attending 'surfies' who embrace his Jack Johnson-like laid-back pop, combined with his skills on the didgeridoo and a tight band backing him up, the latter including bassist Tio Moloantoa and drummer Andile Nqubezelo of the late Lucky Dube’s band. There's a more percussive edge to his music as in relation to his studio albums which go well with the crowd, who swoon at everything he does...the boy can't do no wrong. Rudd has grown into a mighty performer, a social activist like compatriot John Butler and owning a great musical versatility that'll see him be one of Australia's biggest export products in the near future.

The highs Rudd reaches in his gig are tough to match but La Compagnie Transe Express manages that in a fascinating way....a seven man French drum band dressed up as Napoleon in green costumes sets out through the crowd, clowning about before returning back stage...and before the crowd has time to think that the act is over, up comes a crane who hoists the full ensemble high into the air where the act continues! Complete with one member who sits highest and performs a daring trapeze act without net this company has every neck craned to the sky in wonder. Definitely something completely different...

One of the main interesting parts of the last day is the All Star Jam- one of the international guests is being asked to host an hour of improvisational music with the help of a selection of musicians performing at the festival- this year's conductor is Ross Daly. Usually it works out like a loose-limbed, mostly percussion-based affair where spontaneous interplay happens between several artists- this year is quite different as Daly has a complete string band complete, consisting of his band, the Azerbaijani performers with singer Gochar Askarov, Finnish duo Lepisto and Lehto, members of the Hungarian gypsy-fusion band Besh O Drom and Japanese shamisen-player Noriko Tadano. All people on stage are involved in playing set pieces and especially the Azerbaijani and Greeks mesh well. There's moments of brilliance when singers Mariem Hassan and Askarov come onstage to perform (improvise) over the music and the crossover-culture reaches it high point when the chilly Finn-opus Helsinki (from Pekka Lehto) gets a warm bath of strings courtesy of the Daly-led ensemble. An almighty band-performance, rather unique in the All Star-canon and given the short time of preparation a massive effort.

Then, finally, the moment that many of the visitors have waited for. In front of the big stage about 4000 people sit on the ground, awaiting breathlessly one of the true legends of music. Accompanied by his daughter Anoushka Ravi Shankar makes his appearance. Being led to the stage by one of his apprentices the great man has come to perform. He cannot sit crosslegged which is customary for Indian classical players but sits at the front of the mini-stage, his thin legs on the ground...
This is not a concert, this is a moment in time. Soon this man will be 90 years old. He has come to say farewell to this nation in truly the best way possible- playing the sitar for us. He calls the gathering a 'mini Woodstock' and announces his first piece- the classic Raga Jog, a delicate piece. His fingers start off searching, a bit trembling as his trademark bending of the notes take a while to gestate but when the pace picks up slowly, you realise he has never lost any of his skill. Anoushka adds little textures to Ravi's melodies and tabla-player Tanmoy Bose and Ravichandra Kulur on flute back the duo up with spirited play....the silence amongst the crowd is something to behold with only the sweet sounds from the sitar filling the night sky. I just get goosebumps watching the man play.
If the first piece was like a warm-up, the second raga is one for the ages...he announces it as a greatest hits-package in which he wants to fight a duel with his daughter! It's a 25-minute fearless piece of music where Ravi not only wants to showcase his best but he challenges his daughter through 'call and answer'-parts to fill in the missing pieces which she does without fail. There are no winners except the audience. The fun father and daughter have is clear for everyone to see with the master laughing and enjoying himself, Anoushka clearly relishing the moment. It's beyond moving and when the concert finishes and the crowd rises to their feet to a rapturous applause there's a massive tinge of sadness going through me, having perhaps watched this great performer for the last time but that feeling is royally offset by the gratitude for being able to be there at this moment.

And just when you think you have nothing to be amazed about, in the middle of a dark cluster of trees awaits a new surprise. Ray Lee's Siren is an installation of 29 large metal tripods, up to 3m tall, with rotating arms that spin around, powered by electric motors. Hand built electronic tone generators power loudspeakers are set at the end of each arm creating an extraordinary sonic texture of pulsing electronic drones. Small LED’s at the end of the arms trace circles of light as the arms rapidly rotate creating a compelling visual image which becomes quite hypnotic when the two men running the installation have got all arms spinning and the tones set to their liking...when the surrounding floodlights are switched off you're in an ambient forest with flying red lights, moving around in various speeds and accompanied by an ambient soundtrack that constantly shifts as the various drones are being added in time-shifting intervals to the mix. It's a wonderful experience, one that closes off this festival on a remarkable introverted, beautiful note.

p&c maarts 2010.

WOMADelaide 2010 part 3

2011-03-26T19:37:00.001+11:00

Sunday

A gentle start to the day as Ross Daly leads his ensemble to the stage performing for the thousand or so bleary-eyed gathered. The Crete master has been instrumental in combining the tradition and heritage of the Greek islands with various other Mediterranean sources. He plays a long suite called The Circle At The Crossroads which is mostly upbeat and Daly's skill on the lyra is matched by that of his three-piece band including an Iranian percussionist.

There's also plenty of workshops happening at the same time. The first one being that of Australian musician David Bridie who talks of his band Not Drowning Waving and their groundbreaking album Tabaran- the first Australian album to be collaborating with musicians from Papua New Guinea. Bridie is a passionate advocate of Melanesian music and he's slightly critical of the WOMAD-organisation not programming more music from the rich, varied cultures 'just outside our doorstep'. He also is a political advocate for the freedom of West Papua and in the Not Drowning Waving-song Blackwater he play with Airi Ingram he depicts the Indonesian military's shameful exploitation and terror campaign it holds in the nation. Next to his own material Bridie introduces two Papuan artists who beautifully perform several native songs, illustrating Bridie's point about the wealth of talent just across Australia's border.
Another workshop I visit is that of the Japanese drummers of Yamato who put all their percussion equipment out on the lawn and invite the audience to have a bash...shamelessly I attack the biggest mofos of the lot and have to concede that you have to have a very good condition to perform a show like they do....
It's great to canter along the many stalls and have chats with people about the various good causes they represent- it's more than just appealing to your conscience, it's a gentle reminder that we are merely custodians of a planet in pain...

Anyway...I check out several of the roving acts, including the Slack Taxi Bouncers and De Stijle Want...keeping folk amused with their comical skits wandering through the fields. Then it's back to the music as local Adelaide band Monkey Puzzle Tree take the stage for plenty of friends and family- their ambient-rock with violin doesn't really fuse my light so it's off to see Cuarteto Patria holding a son-workshop on the small stage. With one member of the band the only one being able to speak English their tale of Cuban music goes slowly and it's getting even more confusing when band members go into discussion amongst themselves about the importance of certain Cuban music styles and instruments...but belatedly the session gets rescued when guitarist Humberto Ochoa sings a lovely bolero-song, getting such crowd approval so he sings a couple more...perhaps not the workshop the band had planned but some good music emanating from it.

Vulgargrad brings us the ballads, blues and gutterfolk from the dark alleys and gutters from Moscow, wrap it up into oompah-punk with a Russian dash of wodka-fuelled fun and a large crowd discover another new favourite band. The seven-piece band including brass and balalaika is on song, lead singer Jacek Koman looks like a cross between Serge Gainsbourg and Philippe Noiret and sings with a raspy baritone in Russian about prisons, revenge and partying- transforming Russian lullabies to songs like A Pissup Starts With One Bottle gives you an idea of their evil intentions. The Russian Pogues? As rollicking as MacGowan's mob they are for sure and the hour really flies by in a hurry.

Another odd duck in the pond- The Armada led by former Tea Party-frontman Jeff Martin rocks up to the main stage. In this band Martin can act out his love for Led Zeppelin and marry that sound with influences from the Arabian and Middle-Eastern world. I'm not exactly waiting for the heavy-handed rock he brings, the Armada-material is a bit bland, let alone his Led Zeppelin-medley but when he pays tribute to Dead Can Dance admirably by performing Rakim his west does meet east the best.

Speaking of odd- Jane Siberry has got a very coloured career which has brought her from chanteuse to avant-garde performer and, based on her show here, even comedienne. This one-hour woman show consists of a full rendition of her latest album With What Shall I Keep Warm? on which she accompanies herself on guitar or piano and, in some cases, uses backing tracks via a MP3-player. It's like watching Laurie Anderson on speed, the spoken word-bits connecting songs, fragmented thoughts and occurrences are interconnected via the main storyline which basically is Siberry walking in a street. The show is more hit than miss, mostly because Siberry is such a charming raconteur, even if the tale gets a bit maudlin she shifts into a song and her voice, slightly hoarser than in her early material is still majestic. She impresses most with a tribute to her mother in the beautiful ballad Mama Hereby. Just as quick as the narrative goes, the show is over. Very interesting, to say the least. Afterwards I connect with Siberry, getting my CD signed and ask her if this is her United States I-IV....she laughs and says it's more like her Raw Power.

If there's one international musical style that does well everywhere you go it's reggae- there's no shortage of top reaggae acts performing here (next to the Skatalites there's also Dub Colossus from Ethiopia). Tonight it's Australian band Fyah Walk's turn to keep the ganja ablaze. It sounds all good but it all gets a bit samey for me, which is something that happens a lot with reggae for me....

With darkness now surrounding us it's time to seek out the action (after all, Sunday night is allright for dancin') and Babylon Circus is just the band to do it. This young French skapunkfolkband whip up the biggest pogo so far of the festival, infusing their 10-piece big band cabaret with influences from Eastern Europe, chanson and African riddims and it's that diversity that keeps the act from getting boring. Just like the Amigos yesterday afternoon it's the kids going off at the generally high octane tracks but where the Venezuelans lost themselves in too many jams the French keep the tracks concise and the crowd constantly involved. The highlight of the day simply on the basis of audience participation and entertainment skill of the band- don't miss them when they play in your neighborhood.

After that amazing high it's difficult for Ojos De Brujo to follow suit- their more intricate mix of flamenco and Afro-Cuban rhythms takes a little while to get going, mostly because they employ a dancer in the opening number which is a slower track. The band obviously is not out on providing the crowd with its biggest common denominator but wants them to take notice of the full Ojos-experience which not always flies off at 180mpH. But when the band hit their straps, especially when they introduce hip hop, rumba and eastern influences to their distinctive Spanish sound the spark hits. Led by formidable singer Marina Abad the band thrills people looking for genuine crossover with an original twist. Added bonus is the use of animation on the big overhanging sails of the number one-stage to emphasize the socio-political context in some of their songs. .

And then it's time to shift the gears right back as Dean & Britta on a small stage present the live soundtrack to the movie "13 Most Beautiful Songs From Andy Warhol's Screen Tests"...on a big screen in black and white the faces of Factory-luminaries like Lou Reed, Nico, Susan Bottomly, International Velvet, Dennis Hopper, Edie Sedgwick, Ingrid Superstar, Billy Name an Freddy Herko form the inspiration for the songs played live by Wareham, Phillips and friends. It's like hearing Velvet Underground B-sides, at times as sharp as Lou's solo-material a la New York, mostly moping, close to shoegazing but at times also burlesque (Mary Woronow). It's interesting enough to watch but is this the festival for it? For contrast in musical styles this performance deserves top marks but the (seated) outdoor venue perhaps is not the most intimate way to take the memory of some of the most tragic figures in the American entertainment industry in....but as a Velvets-fan I enjoy reveling in the melancholic moods.

The weather has been fresh all day, with rain threatening to fall but, like Kevin Rudd's government, not delivering...

WOMADelaide 2010 part 2

2011-03-26T19:32:00.004+11:00

Saturday

The punters have all til mid day to revive their aching carcasses before the show starts for the next installment. I feel last nights' cold in my bones and the weather forecast is not too bright so I brace myself...

The quirky pop of Australia's Mama Kin is good to start the day- led by the bouncy Danielle Caruana the band charms the crowd with their soulful rythm & blues-infused music and what they lack in depth, they make up in effort.
The first real revelation of the day appears when Mariem Hassan takes to stage 3, a magnificent voice from the Western Sahara desert. A tall, bony figure dressed in colorful Muslim traditional garb, she powerfully brings her songs accompanied by a small band of guitarists and percussionists. She sings in her native tongue songs that are deemed too politically sensitive for her to return to her native country (she's been exiled for 2 years now), mixing the traditional chant up with the type of desert blues currently being so gratefully lapped up by the masses these days, colouring the sound with a touch of pop and reggae. Definitely recommended for the people raving about Tinariwen.
It's hard to see what Dean & Britta have to do at a world music festival until you realise that America represent the world too....since Australia flood the festival with some of their popular pop-acts too so should the US. This band-gig is a tune-up to two shows the pair (joined by a keyboard-player and a drummer) will do later, a tribute to Andy Warhol and playing the music they composed for a DVD containing several of the pop-art's director screentests for Factory-mainstays like Nico, International Velvet, Edie Sedgewick and Lou Reed...the latter's influence on Dean Wareham is striking as bot musically and vocally the performance is reminiscent of the mellower, spacey moments of Velvet Underground. Poor sound lets the band down for most of the time and the melancholic sounds (infused with a Galaxie 500- and a Luna-song) don't quite get the appreciation of the crowd who want a more happy experience out of this- arch miserablist Wareham not caving in.
The contrast with Los Amigos Invisibles could not be more striking- the sextet mixes up Cerrone-like disco, latin rhythms and psychedelic rock to a tasty salsa that has the crowd jumping around in no time. The Venezolan band has been around for over 15 years, has a tight rhythm section and brass and professionally plays the crowd, however, it is not until the keyboard player removes his shirt and starts to freak out like a demented Dr. Teeth behind his instrument the flame really catches the fuel. The hour flies by, the dancers knackered after another hard work-out, the band garnering an appreciative new fan base.

The clouds start to gather pace and the wind picks up dramatically during the last gig so when I make my way to the small stage 6 to see Mamadou Diabate there's a lot of people putting on raincoats to shield themselves from what seems the inevitable downpour. On the stage the Malinean kora-great has no trouble warming up the seated crowd with some inspired play- where his fellow countryman and kora-legend Toumani two years ago wrapped in the audience with his classical, more wandering approach of play of the 21 strings, Mamadou chooses to play repetitive motifs creating a hypnotic atmosphere, making the listener forget about the pouring rain around him. Diabate has a busy schedule as he also plays in a trio named Djan Djan this weekend- here he showcases his solo-virtuosity. Rightfully he won a Grammy Award this year for the excellent Douga Mansa-album. A superb gig.

It's a shame that now the rain decides to plunge down as this forces a lot of people to leave the area- many parents take their children for some shelter outside of the Gardens and since a few stages and outdoor performers don't have a roof above their heads it forces them to cancel several shows. Conversely, several in'tent'-performances draw large crows, like the Taste The World-session with Mariem Hassan. The music on the main stages continue and, when around 6pm the rain dies down, the crowds have thinned out but many people return later on this evening. The main drawcard at that time is Aussie superstar Xavier Rudd who has no problem getting his devoted young crowd to their knees with his didgeridoo-infused Ben Harper-pop.
I opt to check out something Scandinavian instead- on a small stage double-bassist Pekka Lehti and accordeonist Markku Lepisto bring their improvisational compositions to life. Delving in the world of jazz, folklore and avant-garde the duo impress with their prowess and storytelling, albeit that the latter goes fairly slowly because Pekka's English is studied- it takes the speed right out of the performance. Most of their music are hommages to their native country Finland and Helsinki in specific, the city where both men at one stage lived. The music works as a film score with at time bright, vividly coloured music (especially when Markku plays solo) or a meandering, thoughtful piece like Dawn is introspective and gorgeous.

Quick intermezzo to grab some food and drink and there lies the only rub of the festival- it is bloody expensive- a schooner (big plastic glass) of beer is six dollars and a plate of food you can't get for under a tenner...rest assured that it's real 'world' food bought in large frozen quantities, freshly defrosted and ready-made served in Indian and vegetarian tents...
Fortunately the music is fresh...

Frank Yamma may still be an unknown Aboriginal singer/songwriter for many but in the wake of the incredible success of Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunupingu locally but also internationally you may hope there's a reawakened interest in our own singers...Yamma is one of the current crop of talented singers who sings alternately in English and his own language of the Pitjintjantjara. He has a gravelly voice and comparisons with Tom waits aren't uncommon, yet his direct lyricism and his acoustic guitar picking are as clear as day. His band consists of members of famed Australian music group My Friend The Chocolate Cake and they add piano, cello and percussion to the gentle songs that have a raw edge courtesy of the grit in the lyrics, depicting some of the plight but also memories of home and the odd lovesong. In true Aboriginal-musical sense there's a lot of repetition in the verses which means the songs go on a fraction too long at times but the small crowd give the big man a warm appreciative heads up.

The Bamboos are the providers of the first upbeat session of the Saturday night as they funk it up on the small stage. Featuring vocalist Kylie Auldist they have an easy hometown victory as they deal their mix of soul, acid jazz, hip hop and straight-laced funk to a shivering crowd, looking to recover from the (disappearing) rain and early night chill.
for the less dance-orientated crowd there's the combination of slide-blues guitarist Jeff Lang, Malinean kora-legend Mamadou Diabate and tabla-player Bobby Singh a.k.a Djan Djan. It is like dueling banjos between the lute and the guitar with the classic Indian percussion playing metronome. The little jam sessions that often result in soloing between Diabate and Lang gel well but it's not until the end the fireworks really start to go off. The result- a fair draw between the two string artists and a joyful experience for the listener.

Last up is the gentle son-and guajirasound of one time- Buena Vista Social Club-member Eliades Ochoa and his Cuarteto Patria. The Man In Black of Cuban music is well in his sixties but his vocal cords still sound young and supple. The one gripe you can have about this concert is that since the Cuban styles in which is band excels is very much organised in structure (the call 'n response-chants and the rhythm) a lot of tracks sound very much alike but the quality of the music is sublime. Cuarteto Patria is one of the top orchestras from Cuba at the moment, Ochoa delivers his trademark tres-guitarplay with flair and we all dance the salsa Cubana...

After checking out DJ Gilles Peterson who delivers a set filled with classic Latin and African beats for the hardy kids out there who want to keep on grooving, it's time to check out the inside of my eyes.....

WOMADelaide 2010

2011-03-26T19:32:00.001+11:00

WOMADelaide, Royal Botanic Gardens, Adelaide Australia March 5-8.

People who visit this festival invariably will say this; that WOMADelaide is the best festival in Australia. It is not hard to see why. Over the course of four days (first time as it usually is three day event) people will be experiencing a smorgasbord of musical delights from all over the world, where rhythms are diverse and the invitation to listen to something outside your comfort zone is encouraged.

Most importantly it is the relaxed atmosphere and wonderful environment; the festival is being held in the beautiful Botanical Gardens, where ancient trees guard the 7 stages and are being dressed up in lights; combined with the many flags waving gives it almost a Cirque Du Soleil-like environment, enhanced by some of the roving mostly clownesque acts the wanderer can encounter everywhere. WOMADelaide is people-friendly- even when there's over 80.000 people visiting the atmosphere is not rushed or hyped-up as with many rock-festivals, it is family-friendly as the many playing children who have plenty of activities for themselves will testify and as there is a large emphasis on charitable causes, healthy (world-)food and hippie-like clothing- and accessories-stalls next to the music, there's a bit of a peace 'n love-buzz happening too. Add to that the many opportunities to meet the artists, whether through workshops on the smaller stages, as part o the Taste The World-cooking workshops or CD-signing sessions right after the gigs. For me in the past it was wonderful to meet with great musicians like Billy Cobham, Toumani Diabate, Ozomatli, Orchestre Baobab, the Mahotella Queens and the late great Miriam Makeba.
There's rows of food and drink stalls, shops with mostly clothing, fashion accessories and musical instruments and one CD-shop, a large group of tents for charities, a kidzone and several alternative health-tents offering everything from massages, healing to readings. It is a massive enterprise.

The festival starts every Friday night with a traditional welcome from the local Aboriginal-tribe the Kaurna whose land we are visiting this weekend. The opening act for this year is the Japanese drumming tribe Yamato, a hyperactive set of 3 men and two women attackin the mighty daiko-drums with a mix of power, precision and humour- a good, upbeat way to start.
Straight from that moment there are several podiums at once offering musical treasure so it's pick 'n choose- fortunately most acts will appear on other times as well so you won't have to despair if you end up missing something. There's one main stage, two slightly smaller stages on either side of stage 1 who kick into action as soon as the main stage dies down and a variety of smaller stages spread across the park.

After the drumfest I decide to visit Calexico on a side-stage. Their Mexicana-flavoured pop works a treat on mostly the younger crowd and it's interesting that the more Tijuana-tinted tunes garner the most response. The sound let's them down a bit as the brass is very muted in the mix but at the end, when the band serves up a track norteno-style the crowd gets straight into it but the party ends right afterwards. Pity, but they have one more opportunity the next day to impress fully.

Many of the greats in world music are invited and this year it's an honour to see Mahmoud Ahmed bring his Ethiopiques to Adelaide. The 68-year old showman is accompanied by a group of tight-knit young French/UK-musicians who bring his complex yet irresistible rhythms to the fore. Ahmed is indomitable, his voice clear as a clarion and he delights the crowd in making impromptu dance-moves. The music is sublime and even if the rhythm is not easy to follow, Ahmed's directions make sure the people get the right beat; converting the seemingly dominant 3/4-beat into a 2/2-beat like they do is like one of those 3D-pictures unfolding in front of you. Even when the first rain of the festival drops on us (warmly welcomed by Ahmed even who probably knows how valuable pluvius is in Africa), no one stops to grab a raincoat, the dancing continues non-stop. Brilliant.

Representing the vibrant Micronesian-scene is Grrla Step who bring us an interesting crossover crash course- DJ Dexter (ex-Avalanches) teams up with renowned Papuan percussionist Airi Ingram for a mix of massive beats, dubstep and traditional Papuan log-drumming- it sets the backdrop for and intriguing dance-battle between two indigenous Papuan dancers and 4 so-called krumpers, an American 'self-expressing' streetdance style. The object is to highlight the similarities between ancient culture and modern dance- it works real well on this stage and has the younger part of the crowd bounce like rubber balls to the massive bloated beats from the stage.

And then it's back to tradition as the Skatalites bring their happy tunes form the main stage. Being a massive breeding ground for many of Jamaica's top ska-and reggae talent (Jackie Mittoo, Jerry Hinds, Don Drummond and Tommy McCook, among others stood at its foundation about 47 (!) years ago) means there's a lot of personal changes; the only original member in this line-up left is saxophonist Lester Sterling who leads his charges throug a rollicking set of classics like Guns Of Navarone, James Bond and Silver Dollar...one could be critical about how the consistent ska-tempi dominate the gig, turning the thing a bit one-dimensional but here's a legendary band doing what it has been doing for generations.

The best part of the program is how you can shift gears from one gig to another. So, on the last stretch of a fresh Friday night usually the last gi of the night is a mostly reflective one- I've seen many Indian masters and artists like Kronos Quartet playing these slots and, under the magnificent constellations above it is a treat to listen to their music. This year it's the turn of Azerbaijani master Gochag Askarov to bring his classically trained voice to the fore and he does so phenomenally. With his Sharif-like looks and beautiful tenor-like voice he manages to transcend the lengthy songs which are reminiscent of the difficult Iranian/Pakistani-classical music into hypnotic chants- his 4-piece band is excellently supporting him throughout and the people who persist are being treated to a high-class musical experience. And even if the stars tonight are obscured by clouds there's an uninterrupted view upon heaven tonight. What a finish to a great starting set.

2011-03-26T19:28:00.000+11:00

Day three. I SMS Goosebump in the morning to confirm the meet-up with Spaceman- the initial plan was to get to the pub around noon and have a couple before heading off to the grounds- I'm being greeted back on my mobile with the message 'Aaaaaahh!'
OK, so 9am is too early- the ales and lagers did go down pretty well last night. Since Space won't be at the grounds before 2pm I decide to head out early and see what's around.
Poor Susana Baca has the unenvious task to wake everyone up in the beat-down heat but she does it with flair. I decide to look at Tecoma on the smaller stage 4- this is a bit of a weird duck- fourpiece band fronted by a young female songwriter who dictates the sound- she's a bit like Beck in how she cuts up a rootsy bluues/country amalgam with some dancebeats, soundtrack-imagery (Morriconish) and a healthy dose of tongue-in-cheek pop sense. From Australia. Not quite my style but interesting for sure- the few in attendance thought so.

Another Australian band, Sydney's Watussi fire up proceedings on stage 2- it's a band like last years' participants San Lazaro or Blue King Brown who, formed by migrants from South America take the latin-form to modern heights. It's great to see the response to this music, simply because it reflects the heritage of great Latin-artists like Johnny Pacheco, Roberto Roena, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto...they could have easily recorded an album for Fania. The self-written pieces at times lack a bit of oomph but showcase in volumes that this band's got what it takes to headline- plenty of 'gusto' and salsa picante to entice the heatstruck mob into a sweating frenzy.

Time creeps up already and blimey, if it ain't Space ambling towards my way in front of the mainstage, awaiting eagerly Toumani Diabate's Symmetric Orchestra. Space is a quite down-to-earth chap who doesn't fuss around. He's definitely in the mood for some music and what better way then through Mali's finest...

Toumani Diabate (left)...the Hendrix of the kora.

...What you lookin' at? The Symmetric Orchestra gets ugly.

The Symmetric Orchestra is a ten-piece band around the famous kora-player but as much as Diabate's the namegiver of the band, he remains fairly anonymous as it is the band (dressed in traditional tribal robes) that take centre stage. Especially the bald singer Kasse Made Diabate takes up the lead role- his irresistible energy combined with the joyful demeanor of his bandmates lead to a dancefest in which only 4 songs are performed in total- the extended version of Salsa takes about 15 minutes. Complete with dancers including the huddle plucked from the crowd and little impromptu-solos from the mad djembe-player whose ugly face-expressions lighted up the people there was plenty there to keep the attention- the atmosphere was electric. Highlight of the festival for mine.

Three days later I watch the same band turn up an amazing performance at the Sydney Opera House where Diabate's kora is more the highlight of the show- a solo-performance during this gig was one of the most exhilarating things I was privileged to watch- I cannot enough recommend his solo-CD the Mande Variations. Truly an artist who has brought us all the best of Mali-music (not African music, as he taught us, it's music from the Mande-Empire) not only in rhythm but also in classical acoustic sense. What an artist.

Goosebump wonders whether his Antipodean Assessment-mix was slightly harshly judged recently by dolomite...

After this spectacular gig the three of us retreated to initially watch the Billy Cobham Septet- with saxophonist Ernie Watts, the Thunder From Down Under, Mr. Frank Gambale on guitar,trombonist Marshall Gilkes, trumpeter Guy Barker, pianist Jukkis Uotila and bassist Phillipe Chayeb under the guidance of the drum great treat the audience to some uncut jazzrock. Even though he plays classics like Moon Germs, the lure of beer and shade is too big.
We retreat close to the beer tent to catch up. First off, Goosebump surprises both Space and I with two of his homemade mixes- I will surely now have to follow suit! After extensively discussing the best part of all you mob out there it's time for food- I decide on some Jamaican goat for dinner (spicy!). The afternoon passes slowly by and while the Samba Parade (hosted by a Brazilian dance school plus scores of children who have made their own costumes at the Kidzone for the last couple of hours) snakes under heavy samba music through the crowd it's time to see what's on for tonight.

Quark, Sincereness & Charm...Space contemplates the next beer.

We decide firstly on Speakers' Corner with Billy Cobham. Last year he became a festival legend by performing an exhilerating hour long drum solo and orchestrating the All Star Jam, which both were highlights...
Cobham is full of stories. The interviewer only has to mention Miles Davis and John McLaughlin and Cobham tells...the amazing way how Miles racked up scores of brilliant musicians for his Bitches Brew-sessions and conducts them to play exactly what he wanted (when Cobham voices Davis during the anecdotes he curiously makes him sound like The Godfather)...the idiotic amount of gigs The Mahavishnu Orchestra played after they were just conceived...you wouldn't know how much he was telling as time flew by.
As previously mentioned by Goosebump, we were in the mood to ask questions- What did he have for breakfast? What was his favourite Steely Dan-album? (a slight return on the dumb decision from MOJO to award the number one spot in the How To Buy-episode of that band to Can't Buy A Thrill) and of course, the main question we all wanted to know- What did McKendrick ask Leonard Cohen in the taxi?
Brash as usual I grab the mike from Bernard Zuel, the interviewer and what did I ask? None of the above- I chicken out and ask him about his gig with the Adeladie Symphony Orchestra last night where he played the material of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Billy is blunt but honest- didn't go as well as expected at first but worthwile to hang on and there's a chance there's more gigs to come. Beauty!

After dealing with the scorn and derision of Space and Goosebump it's time to find a spot for the highlight of Sunday night- the unexpected main event, after Cesaria Evora had to call in sick- Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. Anyone who has seen a Dap-Kings gig kows how tight and funky the crew is- after four songs sung by MC/guitarist Binky Griptite (who must have been the first artist ever here mentioning their fucking website onstage! Twice!) the pocket rocket arrives. The essence is very heavily centred on their last album 100 Days 100 Nights which shows a more soulful side to the band- not that you know it because in the first four songs Jones and the band belt out spiky hard funk that get the crowd in a frenzy. It's a lovely contrast to see the red hot diva turn it up in front of the stage and the band softly swaying right behind her. Every note of brass, bass, guitar and drum is placed with a militant precision. I cannot help but think that if Mavis Staples was to front this band she had to be stretchered off after two songs.

Space in, er, heaven...watching Sharon Jones.

Jones' forte as a front woman makes sure that the gig doesn't strand in sameyness- a feeling that I tended to get last time around when I saw the Dap Kings, belting out song after song without a pause. Her interplay with a young man she drags on stage when she sings a song to him is funny (especially when she finds out the boy's girlfriend's name is Toy).
The heat and dust do wear her down, after an hour it looks like she is ready to call it a night. But she hasn't let up, given up, her punches are as crisp and damaging as ever and when the band closes up after Jones leaves the stage there's an insatiable desire for more- me personally did a reasonably good impression of Ozzy Osbourne shouting for his wife!
One hell of a finish, one I fear that Cesaria wouldn't have been able to equal. It's the adage for this festival goes: People wanna dance- Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings have supplied that to the crowd in multifold.

Got A Thing On My Mind...Sharon Jones gets (it) off onstage...WOMADelaide, March 9, 2008.

There's more to come on the festival, some chill-out music but after such a high, who wants to come down? It was a right pleasure to meet up with Goosebump and Space_Is_Deep.Somehow, sommewhere we have got to do this again...perhaps when the Allman Brothers Band are touring down under one day?

2011-03-26T19:27:00.000+11:00

Part 2:

I must be crazy. The pool at my hotel invites me to indulge and give up another heatseeker of a day in the park. But festivalgoers will say that it's hard work and takes dedication to experience these things- at least it wasn't Glastonbury-mud....
Hadn't heard from Goosebump either- maybe he was soaking up the poolwater himself.

The news is that main act Cesaria Evora is not coming as she had suffered a mild stroke after her gigs in Sydney- she is resting comfortably in hospital, so her band will still be playing but it's an instrumental 'tribute'-set to the diva. Bummer. The Diva On Bare Feet is a sight to behold but who knows, if health prevails she may be back one day.

Mid day at the oasis and New Zealand's answer to Crowded House, Don McGlashan & The Seven Sisters burn up the big stage in front of two dancing women with umbrellas and folk crammed under the little bits of shade under the two oak trees on the side. It's not the most grateful nor graceful of starts but the band works itself admirably though their set and the heat.
Speakers' Corner boasts the appearance of Black Armbanders Shane Howard and Kutcha Edwards. It's funny, you go to a world music festival to pick up something about cultures and here's the culture right on your doorstep; where Toumani Diabate talks about a lineage dating back 71 generations to approximately the year 1300, the Aboriginal stories can be dated back over 40.000 years!
Not that Howard and Edwards are that ancient, they represent the modern day aboriginal- with Shane being a 'whitefella' who personally journeyed within the culture and stories the tribes told and took a major interest in them. The concert last night was very interesting so I wanted to know more.
After lengthy introductions to the careers of both men (Edwards has been active in several seminal (Aboriginal) rockbands in the 70s and 80s) it's left to both men to explain about the history of the band and their people. It comes down to an enormous amount of tradition being ripped from its fabric by colonists, zealots, bureaucrats and government officials (there's a whole lot of truth in the statement from Kutcha when he says that it's incredible that the oppressing mass of new migrants declared that a new law was set in place wiping out an ancient law that had governed the land for many centuries and that Aborigines had to submit to that law without their approval). As much as you get information about the bands' origin, the background of protest laid bare in many of the songs and the art of songwriting Aboriginal style, it's a quite unexpected moment that drives the point home; during last nights' performance Kutcha dedicates the gripping song Why Do You Treat Me So Bad? to a friend; unbeknownst to him the man is in the audience and after the gig gets backstage to meet up with Edwards. When he thanks the big man for the dedication, exclaiming: "I really needed that", Kutcha bursts out in tears on the stage. Suddenly you understand a bit about the big connection all these people have with each other- the struggles, the hardship of so many years under foreign government but most of all the respect they have for each other through the connection with their ancestry and history going back for so many years.

The Zoo Stage (that's stage 4) hosts a blues artist under the name Mojo Webb. It's almost something out of the Blues Brothers of Spinal Tap but yeah, there's a white guy in a black suit playing Damn Right I Got The Blues in 40-degree heat!
That really gives me the blues so I pick up the action at the main stage where the darlings of the Australian yoof surf culture Beautiful Girls perform. Heaps of teenage hippies dance to the slick blend of rock, dubreggae and pop the band serve up. Just like John Butler Trio and Sarah Blasko these three acts form the main drawcard for the young festivalgoers and it's not difficult to see why- they are accomplished acts who represent Austrlian popular culture quite well. Some of the elder people complain that these bands don't belong on a festival like this but then again- many of the presented world music acts are like rock stars in their own country- all in the eye of the beholder, n'est-ce pas?

Titi Robin represents the 'rocking' culture of the Breton gypsy as his travels through the world made him embrace the wide European, Asian and especially Arabian cultures. His quintet with accordeonist, percussionist, bass player and (Spanish) vocalist almost conjure up images of Blackmore's Night- Titi looks quite a bit like Ritchie and the acoustic strummings of his beautiful bouzouk and oud hark back to the medieval ages. The rhythms are multifold and this is a real folkloristic performance- waltzes, 9/8-rhythms to bog-standard 4/4s- it's as tight as a gnats' ass. Robin is a masterful guitarist who duels freely with the accordeonist and the (young) percussionist and the set almost feels like an impromptu jamsession. Great, great stuff.

Late in the afternoon and while the shades get longer (a bit) so does the appetite for something different. With four stages open for business I stroll first to the main stage where Terem Quartet from Russia entertain the crowd with a set filled with accordeon, two lutes and a monstrous bass balalaika- the band play a gutwrenching version of the Mission Impossible-theme, so i decide to check out another stage- Egyptian/Australian Joseph Tawadros and his two merry men are trying to recreate the zonking hot streets of Cairo via oud, bass and percussion- the oud takes an age to tune properly as the heat really plays havoc with the strings- fortunately, Tawadros posesses a nice black sense of humour and the gig proceeds in a quite pleasant fashion without catching any fire.

OK, where is that damn Goosebump? Shot off a SMS...no reply as yet.

Armed with a slice of pizza I take in the gig of Beirut. I quite like his Flying Cup Club-album and I wonder how he would pull of a gig at a festival of this magnitude. He's at one of the side stages and he and his (8-odd) crew are like a gawkish teenage mob trying to impress the ladies. It sounds all good, folksy-whimsical pop with a distinct Eastern-European flavour attached to it but it's a bit lightweight- it kinda profiles the glockenspiel vs. timpani-dilemma many bands face as they'd like to play more uptempo-stuff to play up to the crowd but Beirut's charm is in the understated way Zach Condon manufactures the many veils his folksongs wear. It would be bearable if the main man would have a slightly larger dose of charisma at his disposal but no such luck. Not in the mood today, I'm afraid.
No, then Clube Do Balancao who ram the message home to the adoring sweating fans in front of stage 2- their samba-rock quenches the thirst perfectly for rhythms- the complete antithesis of what I just watched.

The evening program starts with Susana Baca, an enchanting yet powerful singer whose traditional Peruvian roots have traversed all the way to Cuba and Brazil. She draws in the crowd with her big brown eyes and dazzling performance- she really is an entertainer with a poetic soul. The band gives her all the breathing space and room to dance- she wins the crowd with a not always easy blend of music to get into but, like Yasmin Levy last year, she teaches the large crowd to listen.

Traditionally Celtic artists always have an enormous appeal because of the infectious nature of their music- fiddler Martin Hayes and (American) guitarist Dennis Cahill represent that side of the world with flair. Seated on small stools close to another the two bring their medleys of reels, jigs, ballads, marches and so forth with enormous gusto- so much that because of the frantic foottapping of Hayes the microphone stands of the duo almost wander off the stage. The crowd lie back like lazy lions in the languid early evening sun in the Kalahari desert- the pair don't mind the atmosphere as they surely would have other crowds up the tables dancing and don't mind a new experience. at times I fear for Cahill's safety as he sits so close to the fiddler and it'll only take one passionate stroke of Hayes' bow to poke out an eye....

Well, blow me down, a phonecall from Mr. Goosebump! His Lordship is in the beertent! The jolly-up is finally getting started....

After I sneak a signature on the Hayes/Cahill-CD I rock up to the beertent to meet the Jesse Sykes & The Sweet Hereafter-one-man appreciation society. So what's he like? Awfully nice dude, ale-drinker, certainly gifted with a grand love of music and the ability to wax poetical about it. Incredibly enough he lives in the same street in the same suburb I lived two years ago when I moved to Sydney!

After dissecting these boards here we've come to the discovery that we missed John Butler Trio's huge performance on stage 2, drawing a huge crowd that virtually blocks all access to the stages behind it and the Toumani Diabate Symmatric Orchestra-performance rocks the night and thousands of enthousiastic spectators; we settle on a few more beers and discussion about this joint. We manage to scooch off and get a signature from Toumani on one of his CDs- the Symmetric Orchestra-release Boulaverd de L'Independence makes a welcome entry in goosebump's life whereas I have my Mande-Variations album signed. Only here....

So with the night still sweltering after a great day of music and banter I head off to the hotel- so what would this Space Is Deep-character be like?

WOMADelaide 2008

2011-03-26T19:23:00.000+11:00

Friday March 7

If you are allergic to hippies, please look elsewhere. They are everywhere, man.

WOMADelaide is being held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, a beautiful spot where the huge trees form the decor (and a welcome source of shade) of the festival. There are 7 stages- one main stage, seconded by two smaller ones. The four others are very small to miniscule- the latter is being used only for interviews with artists and a host and creates a very intimate atmosphere which is the real force of the festival- I always say that those small stages yield the biggest surprises. There's about two to three gigs on at the same time every hour- it means being selective and hope you catch what you miss on one of the other days.

The temperatures in the last few weeks have been soaring into the high 30s Celsius and the ground is bone dry. Everywhere around Adelaide the grass has died- the lush grass in the Garden hangs on, but barely. There's naught but sand in front of the main stage which gets kicked up by the thousands of attending people, creating a permanent haze of dust around the area- I quickly dub this year's event 'The Festival In The Desert...'
The temperature hits 40 on Sunday. It's a bit unreal to see big empty spots in front of the stages with all and sunder retreating to spots where shade falls. Every single outline of shade is being filled with flesh. Fortunately ther's free water around, kids love to splash around in it, the older folk guzzle it like they would a beer on Saturday night.

The crowd is yer usual mixture of young and old, many folks with children. It's a children-friendly festival too, with a Kids Zone. Next to that is a Healing Village where all your troubles and ailments will be spirited away (just in case- there's an ambulance post about 100 metres further downfield), tents where Tibetan monks and Tiwi-women show their arts and crafts, a large food and drink-area, catering for all your worldy food-needs- one tent sees some of the participants cook one of their traditional recipes for the guests. And of course there's a huge beertent but with the prices of 6 bucks for a plastic glass of lager, not exactly the spot to have a good pissup. Finally there's a music tent where CDs are sold and virtually all acts show up to sign CDs for the adoring faithful.

Traditionally the festival starts on Friday night at 6pm with the official welcoming and invitation by Aboriginal elders from the Kaurna-tribe to the gathered masses. Make no mistake, we are on Aboriginal land wherever we go and this is not a token gesture- there is song and dance from an invited dance group to flesh out the proceedings. Usually the crowd responds very appreciative to the welcome but there's an added twist, as one of the elders speaks out a message, voicing her appreciation of the recent declaration by the Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd who has said 'sorry' to the whole of the Aboriginal world for their treatment in past and present by governments...-a landmark declaration for previous PM John Howard refused to do so- instead of the respectful applause the elders get a standing ovation.

Opening act on the main stage is Farafina from Burkina Faso- extremely danceable on the back of some fine percussion and two balafons (wooden xylophones). The crowd seem to like it but not to the point where the enthousiasm reaches boiling point. Traditionally the heavily percussion-orientated ensembles do well with the crowd, Farafina's funk is more understated and works the best on the back of the snakelike riffs the balafons throw up. The band plays a tight uptempo set and do their best to win the crowd over which only succeeds partly. Pity for them.

Since one of the mkain reasons I'm here is the king of kora, Mali's Toumani Diabate I amble towards Speaker's Corner (stage 7) for an hour long tete a tete between him, an interviewer and the smallish crowd. It's a pleasure to hear him speak of the line of 71 generations of Djeli (as the griots in Mali are known as, he tells about their continuing influence on daily life and politics as that's how high their influence goes) who have preceded him and how Gen 72 is being trained up as he speaks. There's a lot of respect too as he speaks about his friend, the late great Ali Farka Toure, the influence of West-African music (of the Mande-empire, as it once was known) on so many forms of contemporary Western music and the way he worked on the Mande Variations (comparing it with the way the classical world improvises on a theme). Diabate is engaging and open- as griot his door is always open and just by the stories he tells you could drop in anytime and sith there listening endlessly to him. It adds another dimension to his art for sure; can't wait for his gig tomorrow night.

On stage 2 the next highlight sets up; under direction from Aussie rock legend Shane Howard (hit: Solid Rock under the band moniker Goanna) and David Arden an Aboriginal 'supergroup' was set up under the name Black Arm Band. It features contemporary Aboriginal artists who have been very influential in the Australian music scene over the last couple of decades- Kutcha Edwards, Stephen Pigram (of the Pigram Brothers), Archie Roach, Ruby Hunter, Joe Geia and many others. It's a large line-up of proud stars who sing about the treatment of their kin by uncaring politicians and bureaucrats, highlighting the days of protest, trying to reclaim land rights and justice for the 'stolen generation' (the era in which Aboriginal children were forcibly taken from their parents and put into tutelage camps to 'safeguard their wellbeing'). The lyricism in the songs being chosen is direct- don't expect prose, these people will sing their anger in straightforward words. The largely white crowd respond wildly- it's an education lesson for the many as videoscreens underline the stories told and the music is upbeat. It's when the tempo goes down the most impressive the gig becomes- Kutcha Edwards' (a massive man with a Aaron Neville-tenorlike croon) Why Do You Treat Me So Bad goes for the jugular and legendary singer/songwriter Archie Roach's song Took The Child Away about the stolen generation brings back the same feelings as Lou Reed once did on Berlin's epic The Children chills the air down noticeably. The show finishes with perhaps the most wellknown Aboriginal hit Treaty (Yothu Yindi) and a gentle farewell in the form of Somewhere Over The Rainbow/Wonderful World in the same style as the big Hawaiian fella Israel Kamakawiwo'ole once did. This group will tour later on this year in the UK- definitely worth to take a look at if you're interested in their struggle.

Mavis Staples knows everything about struggle and as her latest album We'll Never Turn Back testifies, it's an amazing rich source for inspiration and passion. She peppers the times between songs with little anecdotes as she leads us to the late fifties and sixties, the time when the black generation in the USA demanded their freedom. Backed up by a small band and three back-up singers it's her voice that does all the talking- and man, does she talk. Her voice is slightly hoarse (methinks the kicked up dust didn't do much favours for her) and sometimes she tends to drag a bit on in the presentation but when she sings- whoo boy! The subject matters of Jesus and protest live very deeply in her and she delivers. Covers of Stop Hey What's That Sound, The Weight and Born On The Bayou do lighten up the offerings. She nails everyone to the floor with the ballad Waiting For My Child To Come Home, growls everyone into submission with the excellent Eyes On The Prize and rocks the lot with the closing I'll Take You There (of course with crowd participation). Great stuff from a veteran who still matters.

And after all that delight it's time to lie back on the grass, gaze at the stars and wander to galaxies far away as the Indian ensemble of Dr. Natesan Ramani ragas away, tumbling everyone into slumberland.

Ashra- New Age Of Earth

2008-05-14T21:49:00.001+10:00

Unfairly, Manuel Gottsching's Ash Ra-outings have been ranked well behind contemporaries in the 70s- the first Ash Ra Tempel-albums helped to put the burgeoning Krautrock-scene on the musical map, even though the band never got the plaudits Can, Neu! and Amon Duul got. And when Gottsching ditched most of his musical partners and concentrated on releasing electronic-based albums in the latter part of the seventies he found himself in the right movement only to find him playing second fiddle to Jean Michel Jarre, Kraftwerk, Vangelis and Tangerine Dream. In the case of this album it was competing with Oxygene, Trans Europe Express, Albedo 0.39 and Stratosfear, trendsetting albums within the genre.
And yet, New Age Of Earth stands its ground amongst these. For one it is by far the warmest sounding album of the bunch. Here Gottsching shows a knack for using sweeping strings without drowning his delicate melodies. Opener Sunrain harbours some of the finest sequencer strains ever composed- they melt in seemlessly with the riffing organ and the melodic arpeggios over the top of them. From that moment Gottsching temporises and concentrates on developing the pieces more naturally; Ocean Of Tenderness is just that- powered on by a submarinally low bass it envelopes the listener like a warm bath. Deep Distance shows out Gottsching's love for minimalist jazzy keyboardwork, surrounded by mesmerising bass and subliminal rhythms. It's not until the last, lengthy track Nightdust that Gottsching straps on his guitar and revives moments of the original Tempel- with this difference that understatement has overtaken exuberance and any overtly threats to burst through the surface and explode into rock riffage is finely toned down in the overall mix, creating an amazing tension throughout the piece.
Gottsching wouldn't repeat these ambient antics on any subsequent albums; he allowed his guitarplay to blossom more but couldn't get the balance as right as on this effort. New Age may be a much maligned term these days but back in '76 it was just that- a defining push towards more technical developments within music and having a group of people showcasing them in groundbreaking albums; New Age Of Earth may perhaps not get that definition but very few of his contemporary artists could better this effort.

Further listening:

Jean Michel Jarre- Oxygene
Klaus Schulze- Timewind
Tangerine Dream- Phaedra

Lou Reed's Berlin- State Theatre, Sydney, 18 January 2007.

2007-01-19T23:32:00.000+11:00

It's only the second time that Reed has performed the entirety of Berlin. Last december he debuted this rendition at the Arts At St Ann's Festival in New York. Reed meant the production as a one-off, originally coaxed by Susan Feldman, the organisation's artistic director into turning Berlin in a stage-like production, but invited by the Sydney Festival-organisation he took the opportunity to take the show on the road and sell out 3 nights in Sydney within minutes.

Berlin par excellence is a themed symphonic album that leans itself very nicely for a complete live-rendition rather than the occasional song Reed has played during live concerts. The stage setting for it is very fitting; the apartment where the doomed lovers Caroline and Jim stay is viewed from above, couch and all suspended from the roof and on that background filmscenes are projected to illustrate the story and its dramatis personae. It's the band however that are centre stage; Reed's trusty companions are Steve Hunter (guitar), Fernando Saunders (bass), Rob Wasserman (bass/electric cello), Tony 'Thunder' Smith (drums), Rupert Christie (keyboards), backing vocalists Sharon Jones and Antony completed with a seven man-strong brass/string section and the Australian Youth Choir fill the smallish stage of this awesome 19th century theatre in the heart of Sydney. The artyness fits right in with the purpose of the performance- Lou Reed's Berlin is part of the pretentious Sydney Festival and the good bourgeois denizens of art are here to take in this debauched rock 'n roll-tale in symphonic style.

So is it rock and roll theatre or pomp and circumstance? In uptempo songs like Caroline Says I, How Do You Think it Feels and Sad Song there is the danger of veering dangerously into Pink Floyd-pomp territory, however it stays just within tasteful boundaries due to the lack of domineering synthesizers, the small number of the accompanying strings, brass and choir and (perhaps) the sobering influence of Hal Wilner who, together with album producer Bob Ezrin are in charge of the musical production- the sound is meticulously crisp, the arrangements complex but clean and not overcrowding the overall sound.
Lou Reed looks relaxed, his supple vocals reflecting this and though in some of his few guitar solos he shows a bit of edgyness, he gels the band together. Steve Hunter ripped right through Lady Day on Rock 'n Roll Animal, here he is more subtle in this lush decor, substituting his acoustic genteel (especially in The Bed) and electric guitar with consummate ease. They play the full album in its original track sequence, only adding to the playing time of several songs. The overall quality of the performance is high, only Lady Day suffers slightly from early tension nerves and in The Bed Lou drops the singing to his narrating voice which gets boring (it's also a pity that the eerie, mournful harmonium on the album has been removed, reducing the spooky character of the song quite a bit); next to that Caroline Says II radiates because of Hunter's sublime guitarplay and closer Sad Song's is almost gospel in Spiritualized-style, bringing the house down and rendering the formerly known Most Depressing Album to resurrected joyous glory.

There are encores, even though the announcement at the front door does state that there wouldn't be any; finally Sharon Jones, who like her backing vocal partner hadn't had any opportunities to shine is being unleashed and takes Sweet Jane to a soulful nirvana; Antony raptures the crowd by adding his croon to duet Lou in Candy Says and, true to form, Reed himself cannot help to add a bit of unease to the final track Rock Minuet where he turns up the fuzz on his guitar and tells his final perverted tale.

"This is an evening to press inbetween the crumbling leaves of Fall" murmurs Lou in the programme book of the show. This show has indeed transformed sweltering Sydney summer heat to autumnal cool for an hour and a half. Awesome.

the Da Vinci Code -review-

2006-04-25T20:34:00.000+10:00

You can spin a lot of tales around religion and catholicism in general. Let's face it, a lot of the Church's movements are still shrouded in mystery and many writers have been trying to either expose some of it or use several of the myths into a tale of their own. I've read tons of books about all sorts of conspiracy theories surrounding Jesus, his disciples or the men of the cloth who are serving Him, the machinations of what once was the single mightiest organisation in the world, the ways it got to the top and its rapid descent in influence, though still important in many societies. The power the Catholic Church still exudes leads to all sorts of stories and, just like the CIA and KGB their secrecies remain fascinating for the general public and a large, easy base for writers to build their premises on.

Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code (and its more impressive predecessor Angels & Demons) does bring up a set of revelations that are quite sensationalistic but for me that was not the main importance of the book. Its subject is the chase for the Holy Grail through a set of puzzles. Brown has a knack for anagrams and riddles which dictate the pace of the tale; it's in fact the revelations themselves that deter from making this a full blood pacey thriller. The fact that he embedded in several of his books clues that led to a location, an Ellery Queen-like 'challenge to the reader' to solve the mystery is proof that next to the theories he unfolded the puzzle-element was at least equally as important.

To transfer this to a screen would be tough. As much as the puzzles are vital to the book, it would take out the pace of the thriller Ron Howard was set to make. As a result the film became more about the conspiracies. The speed in which those had to be fed to the public was breathtaking. As controlled as Dan Brown surfaced revelation after revelation, so rushed did they came up in the film. It was most notable in the scene where Neveu and Langdon visit Leigh Teabing in chateau Villette and get the whole story dished up so fast, including an interactive slideshow on a screen that was already set up for the occasion. The whole conspiracy was brought so rushed and muddy it undermined the credibility of the story.

Naturally while scripting a reasonably detailed book as Brown's it means making sacrifices to the storyline. While for the most part the book's remained intact, the biggest crime the scriptwriters have made is to spoil the revelation of the Teacher's identity the way they did; in the book Langdon and Neveu are lured to Westminster Abbey after Teabing's kidnapper summons them there; the film skips that part and reveals the kidnapper earlier in the story. Shame, it was well worked out and would have worked nicely in the film too, making the revelation more of a shock.
The film portrays Langdon much cleverer than he is in the book- there he reaches some of his conclusions through bumbling and fumbling along which renders his character more believable and more sympathetic. Which lays bare the main gripe I have- Tom Hanks (complete with hideous hairstyle) portrays Langdon so robot-like you just wonder if it wouldn't be the same if this was an episode of Star Trek and commander Data was the main character. Ian McKellen and Jean Reno are much better but have more expressive roles to begin with, Audrey Tautou's character only comes to life through the flashbacks in which she doesn't appear.

And those conspiracy theories? I've always been a believer of the dogma that the more you know the less fantastic the real truth becomes...religion has thrived for so long on the mysteries of faith which in itself is an enigma considering the restless inquisitiveness of humankind. I am a sucker for a good story but that's all that The Da Vinci Code means to me.

**1/2

The Church- Uninvited Like The Clouds

2006-04-06T19:48:00.000+10:00

Fresh from celebrating their 25th anniversary in the musical universe, yet again do The Church boldly venture on into another sonic adventure into the psychedelic subconscious. Tracking the band's path from 1981's Of Skins And Heart to this album, their 17th official one, you'd feel that the evolution from a slightly nervous pop band to this neo-psychedelic romantic dreampop-outfit had been completed several years ago and inbetween the last few albums there was not that much difference (except for 2004's acoustic sidetrip El Momento Descuidado). If you had to point out any differences in regards to than previous studio-album Forget Yourself it's that Uninvited Like The Clouds is slightly poppier, less robust but warmer in general tone. Whatever that might mean for the average listener who still is being treated to quality pop in a standard Church-setting; Steve Kilbey's dead-pan but warmly measured vocals offering his cut 'n paste-like lyrics over the nice riffs of Marty Willson-Piper's guitar, ably assisted by multi-instrumentalist Peter Koppes and percussionist Tim Powles. The album's bursting with nice melodies and vocal lines that come wrapped in shimmering sound and where sound effects fly around like space debris in the vastness of the space The Church inhabits. Opening track Block's drive is motored by a little guitarriff and builds up nicely through the tenseness of keys and guitars. Other songs reveal less progress but immediately bind you; Easy envelopes you straightaway in a full soundscape whereas Day 5's eerie keyboardwashes are more likely to seduce you into the song. Skilfully executed with more heart than skin- it's a typical good Church-album and that's more than enough.

****

The story's told...

2006-04-03T19:03:00.000+10:00

The writing's on the wall...Not Drowning Waving in concert at Northcote Social Club, 31-3-2006. (Photo: maarts)

Not Drowning Waving farewell at the Northcote Social Club, Friday March 31 2006.

As quick as the reformation of this band was a fact, as quick was its farewell. Last year fans of this near-legendary Australian band were delighted to find out that David Bridie, John Phillips, Helen Mountfort, Russell Bradley, Rowan McKinnon, James Southall and Tim Cole were putting Not Drowning Waving back together with the planning of several concerts, plans of the remastering and reissue of the band's full back catalogue, a box set and a new double album filled with remixes of the Not Drowning Waving-songbook by renowned Australian producers. It indicated a renaissance for the band, yet reality set in pretty quickly; the remix-album is still on the cards but has been whittled down to a single disc and there's no news yet on the reappearance of the back catalogue outside of the re-release of their international masterpiece Tabaran and a retrospective double-CD titled Through The One Last Door. Several planned concerts had to be canned due to lack of interest of the ever so fickle public. But more importantly the band was forced into a decision about their future when percussionist James Southall had to quit the band recently due to a serious elbow injury that prohibited him from playing. Since NDW has been not only about the songsmithery of main composer David Bridie alone but also about the interconnection between the members, the option of ending Not Drowning Waving's resurrection was the one that was taken. That happened with a final concert which was held almost at Bridie's back yard, the small and cosy Northcote Social Club in Melbourne.

Not Drowning Waving is one of the most interesting bands hailing from a country where the relationship between music and its heartland seemingly is dominated by the grit and the dirt of rock bands like AC/DC and Midnight Oil. In the landscape of Aussie rock NDW does seem like an oddity even though there are many references to the same grit and dirt to be found within. Australians love the down-to-earthness in their music, the blood sweat and tears-rock from bands like Cold Chisel being almost like a national emblem, their straightforward rock being as quintessential Australian as the red earth covering half of that continent. NDW have never been about being that straightforward but rather than to represent the harshness of that surrounding they have been able to enhance it and use the raw splendour of the earth as an inspiration for a more spacious trip. Listen to a song like The Same Heat where the desolate description of red earth, spinifex and dust leads to a song of barren beauty. Nature plays an important part but it's not the only subject matter that translates well into the sound; Bridie's a romantic and a sceptic who not only exhibits a fondness for looking around in the country but also is a dab hand in depicting Australian society's little maladies (The Marriage Is A Mess), its history (Albert Namatjira, a song about the famous aboriginal painter), sizing up the political situation and human rights in West Papua/Polynesia (Blackwater, The Kiap Song) to reminiscing about the past (Willow Tree).
The music in which all that comes wrapped in is a mixture from melancholic balladry to blood pumping percussive pop, often led by Bridie's piano and keyboards which bring the evocative melodies to the band where cellist Helen Mountfort, guitarist John Phillips, bassplayer Rowan McKinnon, drummer Russell Bradley and percussionist James Southall add their qualitative gifts to it. Especially the meandering guitar of Phillips is an amazing ingredient and is an important part of the unique sound of the band- drifting between wispy echoes and controlled feedback it's adding the colours to the picture rather than defining its edges via riffs and solos. Mountfort doesn't add solely the mournful quality of the cello-solo but also adds echoed shrieks via an electric cello at certain moments. Using an array of percussion, normally courtesy of Southall but in tonight occasion deputised by Airi Ingram is another aspect of their diversity; in fact, one of the main songs on NDW's repertoire, The Sing Sing leads to a dazzling climax of drums, toms and sticks. All these individual threads lead to a rich tapestry which have an unusual, almost un-Australian beauty, full of detail and gorgeous colours. A shame that not everyone dared to dive in at the time.

Colours of the land- Not Drowning performing with the visuals by Tim Cole a prominent part of the show (photos: maarts)

Tonight's presentation including full visuals by regular member Tim Cole (who also provides a vast array of sound effects which adds another layer of atmosphere) is being held at the band room of a small cafe. It makes tough going for the expansive band as the stage comparatively is like the format of a postage stamp- Bridie's monitor speaker balances delicately on the edge and Helen Mountfort has to play her keyboard on the floor because the stand for it even didn't fit on it. The room isn't sold out but is reasonably filled.

There are two sets of roughly an hour in which the band bring a large section of their most wellknown tunes with in between the sets a young Polynesian male dancer bringing a comical skit, accompanied by Airie Ingram on percussion.The full gamut of NDW's sound passes by- from the utter ambient as John Phillips demonstrates in the little solo Big Sky, making his guitar sound like a bunch of organs tied together, the forlorn ballads like The Same Heat, Teteke Aotearoa, The Marriage Is A Mess (complete with the rainy highway-sound effects by Tim Cole and the beautiful cello-solo by Helen Mountfort) and Up In The Mountains measure up excellently to the high octaned popsongs like the driven Blackwater, the bongo-fest Yes Sir I Can Boogee and Plog which sees Bridie and Cole get up and dance, no mean feat on the miniature stage. And as usual, the percussion-fest of the final track The Sing Sing brings several band members to the drums of Bradley, hammering them joyously whilst Phillips unleashes strain after strain of howling noise out of his guitar, assisted by a wall of keyboards and the clapping of fans who dance furiously to the beat.

Further highlights include the menacing Storm, built upon a simple piano motif and explored further through thundering percussion and dark waves of keyboards and guitar, Mr Suharto Man's elegant music despite its biting lyric, the bouncy instrumental Norman Young with its almost African guitarriff and the desolate ballad The Cold And The Crackle. The band is in good form, especially the upbeat Bridie and Russell Bradley and despite some technical problems (what would a NDW-gig be without a keyboard not working?) everything flows nicely.
The encores see also the reappearance of NDWs first ever song titled Moving Away- David Bridie announced he had to find the record again and listen to the lyrics, which he described as 'truly fucking awful. They make Joy Division sound like a happy band'. The eight minute-track has references aplenty to the post-wave/Romantic period and doesn't sound dated, though Bridie's decription of the lyrics is spot on.
Immediately followed by the eerie, earthy Terra Nullius it brings the proceedings back to a quiet reverie. The crowd awaits another opportunity to dance but, oh irony, as if there weren't enough factors conspiring against Not Drowning Waving in the last year, tonight sees the final act of insolence as one of the staff members tells Bridie that the gig has to be over right now because their time is up...robbing the fans of the final two tracks of which traditional closer Walk me Home gets a rousing rendition by a handful of fans who empty the venue.

I'm hard pressed to find a band that conjures up that many moodswings and presents it in a package so appetising. David Bridie might still have a solo-career as well share a band with Helen Mountfort in the more acoustic My Friend The Chocolate Cake but this sound was unique. Sadly the world was never conquered but the people attending this gig had for a moment the feeling that the earth was theirs. Truly memorable.

Augie March- Moo You Bloody Choir

2006-03-18T21:12:00.000+11:00

Can an album sound too good?
Outside of the possibilities of artists sacrificing the soul or sturm und drang of their music by relying on studio technology, overdubs and the lure of big name producers, can the fulfilling of a long-held promise by a band be too good to be true?

That's what I've been pondering after spending several listenings to Moo You Bloody Choir, Augie March's third album. It's the follow-up to two acclaimed albums of which Sunset Studies, the debut was like a miniature of songcraft, subtle in its arrangements and lyricism. Second album Strange Bird made a stride forward but was not quite the releasing of all of the band's powers- that is left to this one. Recorded in several locations, including two tracks in San Francisco with producer Eric Drew Feldman and several in Melbourne with renowned studiocrat Paul McKercher it already exhibits the 'big dream fulfillment' for the band. The cover art is exquisite and lush, so is the booklet, the production and the arrangements.

MYBC is like the progression that Something For Kate made, from the shy-ish debut Elsewhere For Eight Minutes via the more adult Beautiful Sharks to the Trish Schoenmaker-produced big album Echolalia. The latter shimmered with great songs from a confident band. Or take Powderfinger's progression from the acclaimed Double Allergic to the accomplished Odyssey No. 5. Good album but it doesn't hold up after so many listens to its predecessor.

The title comes from vegetarian Glenn Richards' experience of living right next to an abattoir where the mournful mooing of cows being led to the slaughter greeted him in the morning, as he prtrays that scenery in The Honey Month. It's an example of the way Richards pens down the sketches he made of (his) life. His observational poetry has not changed. Neither has the fact that he has a great voice- clear and at times remiscent of a young Tom Petty without the twang. Musically this album is the most diverse of the three. Opener One Crowded Hour shows the band at its best- great melanchomelodic mid-pacer, nicely built up and blessed with the opening lyric that sets the tone for the rest of the album: "Should you expect to see something that you hadn't seen in somebody you've known since you were sixteen?If love is a bolt from the blue then what is a bolt but a glorified screw that doesn't hold nothing together?”
The lyrics are firmly Australian, yet the melancholy employed on more than one occasion sounds American. It should pose no problems for a breakthrough there as there's eighties Tom Petty-references heard in songs like Stranger Strange or the quirky Just Passing Through, the New Orleans funeral waltz that opens The Honey Month or the picked banjo in Thin Captain Crackers. But the most Australian does Augie March sound in the ballads- Bottle Baby with its fatalistic drugs 'n drink-lore is gorgeous and songwriting of high caliber and Bolte And Dunstan Talk Youth has this grainy, sandlike quality in the music about it that at times gets invaded by dreamy keyboards that shine through like the Southern Cross in a dark night.

This is Augie March's big album. Nice big shiny production, great cover art with its also nice and shiny lettering. I'm playing it now and it's fantastic but I wonder how long it'll take before the gloss will come undone and make me reach for Sunset Studies one more time. For now I enjoy the ride...immensely.

****

WOMADelaide 2006 Review

2006-03-13T21:07:00.000+11:00

WOMADelaide 2006

There's no music festival that offers such a complete satisfactory experience than WOMAD does. The WOrld Music, Arts & Dance-festival offers a broad selection of worldly flavours in all these areas. Australia's version, WOMADelaide has been around since 1992 and is being held at the Botanic Gardens near the city centre.
Surrounded by large Moreton Bay fig trees it is a beautiful, peaceful setting for hundreds of stalls, 7 stages and lots of free space to roam about. Not only do acts from all over the world play music, there's also space for performing arts and artistic exhibitions, contemporary dance on the smaller stages and a lot of other things- a Healing Village, many stalls with food and drink from all over the world, stalls from various charitable organisations giving information about certain worldwide problems and demanding your attention and ask help in addressing those issues. There are dozens of little shops where you can buy anything from witches' hats to drums, a Kid's Corner and also a special stage where artists hold workshops, mostly doing a performance, answering questions from the crowd and inviting to join them.

The atmosphere is fantastic. There's (of course) a hippie-like communal spirit wandering around, judging by the large number of long-haired, colourful creatures wandering about and dutifully reflected in the goods sold in the shops. It extends also to the colourful decorations in the trees to the fact that everyone cleans up their rubbish and hardly any mess is left on the grounds. All the collected trash is being split, recycled and used for the trees in the park- that way the festival boasts a zero procent waste-disposal.
To describe what it looks like is tough. At times I felt like I was in the middle of a Cirque Du Soleil-performance. In the dark, light-giving balloons with circus girls dangling underneath them lifted up, one giant tree all of a sudden sported a enormous smiling face, courtesy of a light-projection on it and there were performing artists dressed up from monkeys to spouting water on stilts, which was very handy on the Saturday when the quicksilver hit almost 40 degrees. During the day you share the park with about 40.000 people, varying from tourists, the elderly (most of them with their portable mini-deckchairs), the young families and even the artists, mingling along with the crowd. Totally enjoyable and the reason I'll be a visitor for many years to come.

WOMADelaide strives to give a comprehensive program that reaches beyond the big names in world music and introduce the people to a scala of traditional music. This year it seems that the organisers have put rhythm on a high pedestal as there are many performers working with percussion- since rhythm speaks a very universal language that people can understand it is logical but in retrospect it makes this year's festival slightly unbalanced to the previous ones.

Not enough time to see everything as three or four bands/artists start performing at the same time. Many great highlights of which I distilled the top twelve in a countdown:

12. Eitetsu Hayashi (Japan)

He has the difficult task to open both the Saturday and Sunday-shows at mid day on the large Stage One with people still pouring in. It was no mean feat for Hayashi and his four band members to open proceedings and warm them up for a long day ahead. Three big taiko-drums demand the attention but the longish drum-heavy pieces are interspersed with meditative moments, courtesy of the shakuhachi (long bamboo flute with a full, rich sound) and koto (stringed instrument), played by the four regular members of his band. But the stamina of the taiko-drummers certainly was tested as the continous action took them to physical exhaustion, not being helped by the hot weather. Perfect timing but nothing clinical about this performance. Very inviting welcome to the day.

11. The Renegades Steelband Orchestra (Trinidad/Tobago)

There's a whole lot of cheese involved as this 16-man-and-women-strong orchestra pound the steeldrums and deliver classics like In The Mood, No Woman No Cry, I Will Always Love You (!), Can You Feel The Love Tonight (!!), Mas Que Nada and many more classics in a purely steelband-way. Their saving grace from being ridiculed as being just some dislocated Caribbean tourist attraction is their professional play, arrangements and their indomitable exuberance as the band members bob up like pingpongballs on stage, even play hide 'n seek behind their instruments and spur the people on to clapping, waving and dancing. Just a whole lot of fun.

10. DOCH (Australia)

This young Australian band had the young uns dancing in front of the stage with their mostly self-penned mix of Eastern-European gypsy, klezmer and jazzmusic. Not eschewing the offbeat rhythms this music sometimes offers, there's a talent at work that sounds so effortless. Tuba, clarinet, fiddle and harmonica duel it out in furious phases. Deserve to become as big as Taraf De Haidouks or Klezmatics!

9. The Dhol Foundation (India/UK)

The dhol is a big Indian wooden drum with two surfaces and five big blokes are pounding the skins so hard it's like a hoard of mammoths thundering over the plains. Using bits or rock, bhangra (complete with a Punjabi MC-like track) and dance-rhythms to complete the overall sound. Some of the lead-off rhythms offered by a drumkit sound a bit samey, like the rhythmtrack off Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan's Mustt Mustt but the hyped up crowd keep on dancing through any objection you might throw at them. The boys certainly know how to entertain and that's enough for now.

8. Miriam Makeba (South Africa)

Mama Africa gets an emotional, respctful farewell from the Friday-night crowd. At age 74 her voice in the spoken word is shaky but the growls and clicks are masterful as ever. She is at her best in the uptempo-pieces as the band adds loads of dimension to the classics she brings to the audience. It's only in the ballads where it gets cringeworthy as the Kenny G-like saxophone drags the tracks to a real low. It's Makeba's maternal, warm presence that is the real magnet to this show. Not just the memory that we might never see this wonderful artist again but the awe she inspires by singing, talking to the crowd and her obvious love for Africa and its heritage to the world shines through in every minute of her performance. An universal lesson.

7. Dr. L Subramaniam/Amjad Ali Khan & Friends (India)

There's two ways of enjoying this late nigh Friday concert- watching and be amazed by the technical prowess of Amjad Ali Khan's play on the sarod, his partner on tablas and, later on, the languid, beautiful violinstrains of another master of his instrument, Dr. L. Subramaniam. Or lay back, gaze at the stars and let this music that heaves and swells come over you and feel interconnected with space, time and music. it felt that way. Just like last year when Kronos Quartet played the evening session, this was one perfect meditative moment, away from all heavy percussion and electronica, just masters of their craft weaving that spell. Amjad Ali Khan's concert is mostly taken from his last album Moksha and he interprets freely Indian classical themes together with tablas and santoor, before Subramaniam lets his violin sing in many languages. Split because the incompability of the styles being played by Khan and Subramaniam prevents a jamsession but it's not necessary to deem it a shame. Going on well beyond midnight with the sky turning overhead it's a gorgeous trip for the senses.

6. Evelyn Glennie (Scotland)

She's one of the few solo-artists at this festival but you wouldn't notice it. Talk about respect- A Scottish woman, profoundly deaf at an early age because of an illness and here she is, many years later, an expert in percussion, owner of over 2000 instruments, multi-Grammy Award-winner and respected throughout the whole music community, from the classical world to the rock-universe. She plays anything from a marimba she just had picked up in Adelaide (intriguingly triggered with some keyboard-pads which deliver some cascading noise), all types of hand percussion, snaredrum, an extended drumkit to even the floor. The whole spectrum of percussion rages by in just under an hour, from building up slow rhythms to belting the wholy bejeesus out of a pair of bassdrums, almost equalling the noise of the taikodrums heard earlier. With a friendly, humourous explanation of the works she performs (from improvisation to a classical piece written by an Icelandic composer especially for one snaredrum), it's a masterful class which should people like Neil Peart make sit up and take notice.

5. Ba Cissoko (Guinea)

Ba Cissoko surprised me the most. His latest album sounded more extroverted than what he showed at the small stage on Saturday afternoon, but what I heard was brilliant. His acoustic kora measured up against the elctric kora, some sensous bass play and very understated, muted percussion. It made sure of the koras taking front stage, tangling with each other at times and making people nod with the groove. But it's when the electric kora goes into fuzz-overdrive, the flame hits the oil- like the Jimi Hendrix of koradom he takes front stages and causes excitement. Cissoko is an engaging frontman who is quite content to share the stage with the band.

4. Wicked Aura Batucada (Singapore)

Batucada or the art of Brazilian carnival percussion. More big drums played by a big orchestra, more enthusiasm from the crowd. The interesting thing about this mob is that not only typical Brazilian sambas are played but it also dabs in African, funk and even hiphop-rhythms. The reason why they get my nod here is not only for their enthousiastic performance but because this band leads the so-called Ashanti-parade through the grounds with hundreds of kids in tow, with many other percussionists added for a rumbling long ribbon of drumming weaving through the crowds. Now that's a real carnival.

3. Ravibandhu Vidyapathi & Ensemble (Sri Lanka)

Of all the strictly percussive acts, this was the one that offered the most diversity, style and presentation-wise found a perfect mix between technical prowess, enthousiasm and presentation. Classical dance (with the help of three beautiful young ladies from the State Dance Theatre Of Cambodia) mixes well with his art of Kandyan drumming and the orchestra is tight, colourful and well balanced in its delivery. The five young drummers sing and dance simultaneously in a whirl of colour. Definitely a musical style that deserves a wide audience- the public here was very enthusiastic to hear this artful masterwork in amongst the more commonly known traditional rhythmical exponents.

2. Orchestre Baobab (Senegal)

Orchestre Baobab are almost the Buena Vista Social Club of Senegal. Veterans of the African rumba-scene, this tight and remarkably loose-jointed band gets everyone's bootie shaking during both an intimate workshop-session on Saturday afternoon and later on, on the big stage, turns up the volume, charm and band power. The band has so many songs yet only a handful of albums (there's a new album on the way which, according to the band will be released around July) but even though they play most songs from these releases, the longer jams, complete with great guitar solo-work from Barthelemy Attisso. Amazing that this band once disbanded and once was discarded as old and uninspiring. Not tonight. This reformed band, named after a mighty bulbous-looking tree has its roots firmly planted; the Cuban rumba-rhythms shine through, there's fine percussional work, great (Wolof) vocals and a stylish, highly enjoyable performance. Not for nothing they declared that their band didn't employ tradition sounds from Cuba; it is the Cubans that stole this music from Senegal!

1. La Bottine Souriante (Canada)

I first heard this French-Canadian band 9 years ago at the renowned folk festival Dranouter in Belgium and they left a deep impression on me. The music was catchy as hell, steeped in Celtic tradition with elements of jazz, cajun and French chanson in traditional chant and response-form. It was a remarkable concert which rolled from amiable drinking songs to fired up jigs, courtesy of Yves Lambert's accordeon, Michel Bordeleau's piano and tapping feet (the tic-a-tac is the major source of rhythm in the songs) and a small brass section, adding a shot of jazz in the full arrangement. A great gig which was halted at midnight by one of the organisers explaining that the time was up and consequently was bottled offstage so that the band had to reappear and play some encores.
None of the original members of the band remain in this year's outfit and since the band has been around for over 30 years it's not unusual. After tonight it is not even important who used to be an original member. Still they're not forgetting their traditionalist roots and the rich ancestry as most members are second or even third generation musicians in their respective families.
The new generation of La Bottine is led by three youngsters: Andre Brunet, Pierre-Luc Dupuis and Eric Beaudry. They take over the lionshare of vocals and feature instruments as they handle the vocals, guitars, accordeon, violin, harmonica and, most importantly, the tic-a-tacs. And most of all bring a whole new enthousiasm to the performance as that is what La Bottine has become first and foremost- a complete entertainment package. That starts with the three lead-Bottines up and moving onstage to gee up the crowd, ably assisted by Sandy Silva, a 45-year old dancer who adds her tap-like dancemoves to the tic-a-tac-pattern and the 3-man brass-section, who at times move to the front and act out a Memphis Horns-like routine. The tunes are reinforced by having two lead instruments play the main melody and while the emphasis is on high-octane jigs and reels, there's quieter moments as well as the acapella-song Adieu Virginie gives the band a bit of a breather. Together with a enormously enthousiastic crowd it makes for a full hour of highlights of which their cover of Penguin Cafe Orchestra's Music For A Found Harmonium takes the honour of best moment at the festival.

Special mention for Talvin Singh who's DJ-set (the first one ever done in the history of this festival) spawned some great ethnic fusion, Australian bluesguitarist Jeff Lang who added a dash of, well, blues to the day, The Musaphir Gypsies Of Rajasthan who in true Tinariwen-desert nomad-style bring their folkloristic classic music with intricate dancers as well, Cape Verde-singer Lura who brought the Cesaria Evora-feeling onstage with allure, sentiment and freshness, Kanda Bongo Man who closed off the saturday night with lengthy soukouss-rhytms, very sexy dance(rs) and lots of fun and Farida & The Iraqi Maqam Ensemble who brought their form of Iraqi maqam-vocals with lots of passion.

maarts' top 100 favourite albums

2006-02-25T21:10:00.000+11:00

Egged on by a messageboard I started out compiling my 100 favourite albums...i kep on changing it forever. Consider this as the base and revisit this post if you want to see the update- who knows, I might make it into a top 1000 one day. But for now:

1. Dead Can Dance- Spleen and Ideal
2. This Mortal Coil- It'll End In Tears
3. Talking Heads- Fear Of Music
4. Sigur Ros- Agaetis Byrjun
5. The Smiths- The Queen Is Dead
6. Pixies- Surfer Rosa
7. Sigur Ros- Takk
8. Porcupine Tree- Signify
9. Tangerine Dream- Tangram
10. Joy Division- Unknown Pleasures
11. My Bloody Valentine- Loveless
12. Not Drowning Waving- The Little Desert
13. Cocteau Twins- Treasure
14. Brian Eno/Dan Lanois/Roger Eno- Apollo: Atmospheres And Soundtracks
15. Dead Can Dance- Within The Realm Of A Dying Sun
16. Swans- White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity
17. David Bowie- Heroes
18. Pink Floyd- Meddle
19. Kraftwerk- the Man Machine
20. VAST- Visual Audio Sensory Theatre
21. Mike Oldfield- Incantations
22. Ashra- New Age Of Earth
23. Metallica- Ride The Lightning
24. Yes- Close To The Edge
25. Penguin Cafe Orchestra- Broadcasting From Home
26. Van Morrison- Poetic Champions Compose
27. Spiritualized- Lazer Guided Melodies
28. Talk Talk- Spirit Of Eden
29. Jean Michel Jarre- Oxygene
30. David Bridie- Act Of Free Choice
31. Northern Picture Library- Alaska
32. Nine Inch Nails- Pretty Hate Machine
33. Prince & the Revolution- Sign 'O' The Times
34. The Cure- Seventeen Seconds
35. Red Devils- King King
36. Emmylou Harris- Wrecking Ball
37. Brian Eno/David Byrne- My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts
38. Vangelis- Bladerunner
39. Propaganda- a Secret Wish
40. Spacemen 3- Taking Drugs To Make Music To Take Drugs To
41. U2- The Unforgettable Fire
42. Lou Reed- Berlin
43. Brian Eno/Jon Hassell- Fourth World Volume 1: Possible Musics
44. Talk Talk- The Colour Of Spring
45. Bel Canto- White Out Conditions
46. Godspeed You! Black Emperor- Lift your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven
47. Gene Clark- White Light
48. Cranes- Loved
49. Radiohead- Kid A
50. Interpol- Turn On The Bright Lights
51. The Cure- Disintegration
52. Velvet Underground- and Nico
53. David Sylvian- Brilliant Trees
54. Porcupine Tree- In Absentia
55. Bruce Springsteen- Tunnel Of Love
56. Daniel Lanois- Acadie
57. Marianne Faithfull- Broken English
58. The Congos- Heart Of The Congos
59. Stone Roses- Stone Roses
60. Butterfly Child- Soft Explosives
61. Shriekback- Oil and Gold
62. Roy Harper- Flat Baroque & Berserk
63. Simple Minds- New Gold Dream
64. Pearls Before Swine- One Nation Underground
65. Quicksilver Messenger Service- Happy Trails
66. Sheila Chandra- Weaving My Ancestor's Voice
67. Japan- Gentleman Take Polaroids
68. Tim Buckley- Starsailor
69. No-Man- Together We're Stranger
70. Jesus & Mary Chain- Psychocandy
71. Kate Bush- Hounds Of Love
72. Klaatu- Klaatu
73. Peter Gabriel- So
74. Marvin Gaye- What's Going On?
75. Lee Perry- Arkology
76. His Name Is Alive- Home Is In Your Head
77. Jon Hassell- Dream Theory in Malaya
78. Tori Amos- Little Earthquakes
79. Primal Scream- Screamadelica
80. Tom Waits- Nighthawks At The Diner
81. King Crimson- Larks Tongues In Aspic
82. Ministry- Psalm 69
83. The Alan Parsons Project- I Robot
84. Stevie Ray Vaughan- The Sky Is Crying
85. Kate & Anne McGarrigle- The French Record
86. Hector Zazou- Sahara Blue
87. Coil- Horse Rotorvator
88. Jimi Hendrix- Electric Ladyland
89. La Bottine Souriante- En Spectacle
90. Steve Roach/Vidna Obmana- Cavern Of Sirens
91. James- Seven
92. Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy- Hypocrisy Is The Greatest Luxury
93. Slowdive- Just For a Day
94. Genesis- The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway
95. The Beatles- The Beatles
96. Cassell Webb- The Thief Of Sadness
97. Prefab Sprout- Jordan: The Comeback
98. Sly & The Family Stone- There's A Riot Goin' On
99. Johnny Cash- American Recordings
100. Lloyd Cole & The Commotions- Rattlesnakes

Pandora's Box

2006-01-29T20:02:00.000+11:00

Hey there, casual reader!

Just a few quick plugs for some good websites....

First off, I quite enjoy the selections at www.pandora.com, which works like a radio station but you decide on the type of music being played...no, not enter Rock and get blown away but a selection of music based upon the entry of a song title, style or artist.

Been listening to some mash-ups lately too. www.mashups.blogspot.com leads to some great links- I especially like CCC's Radio Hour which connects pop/rock-mashups with Radio London-jingles.

2006-01-21T20:54:00.000+11:00

David Bridie- Original Soundtrack for the TV-Series RAN (Remote Area Nurse)

The best soundtracks are the ones that outside of accompanying the film do stand up individually. This might be easier achieved by scores for movies than the ones for television as often those rely far heavier on incidental music rather than compositions. This TV-soundtrack, written for the Australian series about a young nurse sent to the remoteness of the Torres Strait Islands, finds another way of making it on its own- it's a little cultural exploration of this part of Melanesia, comprised of more than 100 islands situated inbetween the top north of Australia and New Guinea.
Although prolific musician David Bridie is credited with the musical directorship of this album (in fact he is more like the recording engineer and arranger), it is actually a various artists-album. The majority of the tracks are carried by chants, instrumental and choral pieces recorded with traditional artists of which notably dancer/choreographer Albert David (chants and dancing rhythms) and singer/guitarist/ukulele-player King Kabu should be named. Additional performers are The Triffids' 'Evil' Graham Lee on pedal steel guitar, acclaimed Torres Strait Island-songwriter Seaman Dan, two assembled choirs and Pius Wasi, Ben Hakalitz and Tim Cole, members of Not Drowning Waving of which Bridie is a founding member also. The NDW-connection is obvious throughout this album as references can be made to their album Tabaran, which explored the musical culture of Papua New Guinea with some added enhancement by the band.
RAN has that same principle: traditional music from the area, in some cases augmented to a higher, little more melancholic level through the use of keyboards without getting too schmaltzy or losing the authenticity of the music. Bridie has the good sense to know where and when he can add his treatments, letting the music breathe through clear recordings, add a little soundeffect here and there (the bush, church bells, the sea) but mostly to be the guide through the fascinating variety of music these islands have spawned over the years. That is this soundtracks major strength- not only do we hear the so popular stringband music but several varieties in choral music- the descending tonality of Tag Mauki, call and response-chant and even the ole Halleluja pass by. There's percussive dance, the lone sound of a bamboo flutes, folksong and even speed ukelele. The short pedal steel-track It Hurts here (And There) doesn't sound out of place here either. Only the remix of Oro, the opening theme leans too close to Deep Forest-like tendencies and sounds out of sync with the natural rest. There's 27 tracks, most clocking in below 3 minutes and yet it doesn't feel like it's a chopped up affair. The momentum doesn't get broken, just replaced with the next movement.
You don't have to be an anthropologist or to know anything about the music to enjoy it. The music is easygoing and as colourful as the many snapshots you can make of the Torres Strait Islands themselves. Some people might say that the additions Bridie has made to the music are superfluous and that the original recordings he made will stand up to this album at any time; that might be but the fusion of western technique with traditional music on this particular album has just given more depth to the composition as well as a more enhanced aural pleasure for the occupational interested listener- here you can feel the waves roll off your feet and since the sea is such a vital part of these peoples lives, the more accurate the total picture becomes.
See, it's not even necessary to mention the TV-series.

Maarts' reviews

2006-01-21T18:00:00.000+11:00

Iarla O'Lionaird- Invisible Fields
Afro Celt Sound System- Anatomic

For God's sakes, you can't sing songs about cuckoos anymore!

Afro Celt Sound System for the last few years have moulded a vast array of styles and cultures together in a highly infectious package where electronic percussion and synthesizers fuse easily with the acoustic principles of African, Asian and Celtic musicianship. Where many musicians have used world music elements as an enhancement, an ornament in their work, the Afrocelts use their various influences to work in a band-type of fashion. All the songs, including the slower ones have a good signature melody and, with a few exceptions are like jamsessions between various instrumentalists with a central role for percussion and keyboards.
Anatomic is volume 5 in a series and hasn't changed much from the original recipe, outside of change in contributors. This time the voices of Dorothee Munyaneza (powerful singer, also to be found on the soundtrack of Hotel Rwanda) and Sevara Nezarkhan (check out this Uzbek singer's album Yol Bolsin) are guest starring, together with the usual Afro-eclectic array of foreign instruments like the kora, dhol, bouzouki, fiddle, djembe and talking drums, uileann pipes and flutes.
The best moments is when all those influences get together and create that total world fusion- like the battle between the uileann pipes and the soukouss-type guitar in Mojave, the duets Iarla O'Lionaird sings with Munyaneza in Mother and with Nazarkhan in My Secret Bliss and the beautiful tinkling of the kora with the piano in the final parts of Drake. At times the electronic background becomes too much to overcome though, like in Beautiful Rain which contains an English sung vocal by Iarla before being drowned out in synthesizers or in Dhol Dogs, where the pounding of those big drums is being upstaged by thundering sequencers, creating overload. But for the largest part it is a very good album, mostly high octane like a Highland jigfest and exhilarating. Next to their debut Sound Magic their finest album.

Anatomic is in stark contrast with Iarla O'Lionaird's third solo-album which appeared shortly after. Here he has the possibilty to trace back his Irish origins and using the electronic traits of his Afrocelt-brethren to maximum effect, without resorting to jigs and reels but concentrating on the storytelling ways and using his keening style without being pegged down by the instrumental environment. Invisible Fields has ten reasonably lengthy tracks, partly taken from Irish tradition, the others written by O'Lionaird in that fashion. The result is a stunning restful album with delighful supple tenor-vocals, singing songs about long forgotten wars, cuckoos, love and finding childhood dreams in the countryside. No platitudes or new agean concepts but an inspired project from a man tracing his origins through modern techniques and bringing it with a honest lilt in his voice. Standouts are the opening track A Nest of Stars with a little vocal loop at the end that breaks your heart, the poppy The Day You Were Born which wouldn't be misplaced on an U2-album, the epic Oisin's Dream with its whispered, echoed vocals like shadows from the past in a musical pattern like A Midsummer's Night Dream gone wrong and the little lullaby Scathan Na Beatha at the end, carried by harmonium and birdsong.

2006-01-12T23:00:00.000+11:00

Maarts' Top 50 Albums Of 2005

1. Sigur Ros- Takk

To try to describe this album without constantly using superlatives is difficult. Trying to describe what it feels listening like it without using all sorts of woolly metaphors is damn near impossible.

This is not been made easy by the nature of the band and their music; a large, Icelandic collective taking a folksian approach to the post-rock genre and blessed with a lead singer using a made-up language in a voice that somewhere holds fort inbetween cooing, mewling and crooning. Within Sigur Ros's concept it is but an ingredient, important that it is and it definitely sets them off from many other post-rock outfits. The Icelanders have from the beginning set out not only to build up songs in the tradition of bands in that ugly named genre but envelop their listener in a natural environment of brass and strings, deterring from every song ending in an orgasmic event but looking more for a longer lasting feeling of excitement. Their dark fledgling debut album Von showed a veiled promise but did not convince but the band moved on, producing the stunningly beautiful and organic Agaetis Byrjun, the more stifling and dark ( ) to this album- a richly detailed experience using all of the musical elements used on those two latter albums.

It is the details that makes this album so great. Listen to it on headphones and go beyond the guitars and keyboards dominating the soundscape. At times it's like watching plankton underwater through the sun streaming through the water as clocks, glockenspiel, loops, echoes, footsteps and Jonsi's whalesong enter in the view and leave as sudden as appearing. All songs are carefully crafted from beginning to end- no sudden ends or disappointing fade outs. It is a real finished product.

Finally the songs themselves- do they match up with their best? They easily hold their own although they're not likely to write any more songs like Svefn-G-Englar but then again, you only have one shot at making a first lasting impression, maintaining it is where the real challenge lies.

Takk succeeds on that front. Opening with the short and shimmering title track, then getting straight into Glosoli and Hoppipolla, the closest thing Sigur Ros get to rock. Meo Blodnasir pulls the Hoppipolli-tune back in a reverbed way, like the Stone Roses did on Don't Stop. Se Lest has a lullaby-like charm, due to glockenspiel, piano and metallophon teaming up before taken over by a little oompah-brassband. If that was sweet, juxtaposing it is Saeglopur, the heaviest the band has ever sounded. Milano has a pianoriff Coldplay's Chris Martin would die for, supported by some great creepy violin-background and culminating in a Jonsi-cri de coeur that is heavenly. Gong with it's jazzy brushed percussion is almost the most straightforwardest of popsongs and illustrates the instrument-like quality of Jonsi's vocals which sound more like a solo-instrument than a true vocal, searching high and low to add the melodic counterpoints to the busy guitars and keyboards. My personal favourite is Andvari, a simple guitarriff drifting off into the ocean with a little string quartet playing the most gorgeous and simplest of melodies. It breaks my heart, hearing the longish fade out, like the leaving of a loved one or the waves of the ocean returning back to the sea.

Svo Hljott is an equally slow moodpiece, build on the feedback of the guitar, My Bloody Valentine-style before dissipating with a beautifully crafted piano-looped piece-as I said, all songs have lovingly constructed beginnings and ends. Final chord Heysatan with its meandering brassband walking under the streetlights bring this remarkable album to an end.

Ever since its release Takk has been a steady companion in my player, revealing more of its colours with every listen. Oh fuck it, I've said it at the beginning, it's impossible to describe it without woolly metaphors; listening to Takk is like diving in the ocean, the sunrays piercing the deep blue and the feeling of weightlessness with the splendiforous views underwater taking your breath away. Album of the year by a mile and then some.

2006-01-12T21:20:00.000+11:00

2. M83- Before The Dawn Heals Us

M83 in astronomy terms is also known as the Southern Pinwheel Galaxy, a large spiral galaxy that's named like that because its spiral arms...15 million years distance but still visible with binoculars. Unimaginably huge. That connotation fits Anthony Gonzales, the main protagonist of this outfit to a tee as his ideas and translation into music transcends by far the utter simplicity of this planet and searches out nearby stars and galaxies. Quite simply, this is big music.
Before The Dawn Heals Us is the follow-up of the much loved Dead Cities Red Seas & Lost Ghosts, an electronic odyssey with light shoegazerish effects but with an amazing warm feeling throughout. As much as the ingredients are the same, the tone of this album's more aggressive. One moment it roars and powers on like the alternative soundtrack to Gone In 60 Seconds then to pull on the brakes and go right into the subconscious with some ambient electro. The single Don't Save Us From The Flames thunders on with theremin-like backing and a Polyphonic Spree-like vocal on top, Teen Angst even turns the speed up to a dizzying electro ride. Fuzzed out keyboards melt with guitar to provide the wall of sound but it's not the Gonzalez' goal to pound the listener into submission but create many different scenes with them. That's where the ambiance can shoot from exhilarating to moody (Farewell/Goodbye, with nice vocals), pompous (opener Moon Child) or scary, as in the narrated Car Chase Terror, where a mother's fear for the life of her child and herself takes centre stage under a dark cloud of electronics. It's majestic and entertaining like the vast array of stars clustered together within that galaxy giving its luminescence so far away. On a final note- the epic 10-minute closer Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun was my favourite track of 2005- an amazing glide into eternity, slow and deliberate with children's choir, tympani, drums and an electronic symphony orchestra providing one of the most bombastic, dramatic and ultimately most beautiful tracks ever.

2006-01-09T21:53:00.000+11:00

3. Brian Eno- Another Day On Earth

This is Eno's first real solo-outing since Another Green World in 1975! You'd start to wonder if he needed other people around him to create a new album.
It's quite fitting that in design there are so many comparisons between the two. The way Eno writes is economic and tight in the structure, but it's the build-up and the creating of that bit of ambient atmosphere that most songs inherit that sets them apart from your average three minute popsong. Let's face it, all songs on this album are fairly simplistic. But then why is this record one of my favourites for the year?
The answer is that Eno out of these simplistic features creates songs that at times feel like that they go deeper than the ocean and it is just stunning to hear how he manages to create that sensation. It's in the way he arranges the songs. Of course there's the ubiquitous keyboards adding this melancholical touch here and there (or dominating as on Going Unconscious) but also how he handily interweaves vocal lines with guitar, like in Passing Over, uses pulsing beats, snakelike bass and sparse percussion as elements rather than backbone. He loves to use spectral melodic chords like the beautiful string arrangement on How Many Worlds and he doesn't do that same trick twice.
And then, most importantly there's the songs themselves. There's a charming, almost naive theme in all of them, starting with Eno's vocals, unassuming and simple. The lyricism on songs like This, like a shoppinglist-song, How Many Worlds or Just Another Day with its simplistic wish to describe mankind's worst episodes as just 'another day on earth' give this image of a very likeable set, despite some more serious thoughts. But Eno doesn't make it all that laid back and innocent- he counteracts the easygoing grooves with some chilling work in the closing Bone Bomb, where a cut-up vocal of a talking woman speaking of a beautiful death, like a suicide bomber about to go off in a tense electronic stand off before the sudden end...it's like he has set us all up for that stunning reminder of earth's really dark side. Mindblowing (no pun intended!).
Another Day On Earth may sound weightless for many but any true spaceman should know that that's where the charm of the trip lies- this album's the perfect lift off to discover this.

2006-01-09T00:23:00.000+11:00

4. Songs Of Green Pheasant- Songs Of Green Pheasant

What an astonishing debut! Englishman Duncan Sumpner posted this tape of songs recorded in his kitchen with indie record company FatCat but forgot to put his address on the package. The impressed executives listened to the tape and spend 15 months trying to find the musician and fortunately succeeded. For it has led to the release of this CD which sounds as unpolished and raw as the original demo and that's where the charm of this album lies.
Sumpner writes folksongs in the Devendra Banheart-way but his compositions are not as twisted and more melancholic. He layers his vocals and at times it's like hearing Simon and Garfunkel locked up in a cellar- the last part is because the sound of the tape hasn't been cleaned up and the sepia tint that graces the cover's also symbolic for the sound here. With acoustic guitar and tapeloops he colours in the edges of the folksongs. The demo-like quality of the recording is adding to the quality rather than detracting from it. Standouts are Nightfall (For Boris P) which finishes off with fiery fuzzy electric guitar, Truth But Not Fact and the final song From Here To Somewhere Else, the longest track clocking in just under 8 minutes, elegant and melancholic. I just couldn't release this CD from the player once I started listening to it. Great little album!

2006-01-08T22:51:00.000+11:00

5. Porcupine Tree- Deadwing

It's been a long way for Porcupine Tree to grow into the massive band it always was destined to be. The name dates back to the early 90s when frontman Steven Wilson cut 'n pasted his songs together, combining prog-rock elements to a slightly psychedelic work, then slowly evolving towards a band set up, making Pink Floyd-style psychedelic rock, technically perfecting their sound to one of the most artistic sound and revered progressive outfits. 2003s in Absentia showed that Wilson wanted to develop a sharper edge to the music, with this album he has delivered the metal record he always wanted to make. That doesn't directly mean that the progressive elements have been shuffled aside, they are merely been made more subordinate to heavy riffs. The title track and Shallow start out with those intentions in mind and have awesome melodies. Yet it is in the quieter passages that the full band, including keyboard player Richard Barbieri, bassist Colin Edwin and drummer Gavin Harrison show all the delicacies of the band. Lazarus and the 12 minute long Arriving Somewhere But Not Here are the best songs because of the variance in dynamics. I admire them stepping into new(er) territories but have to admit that old-style Porcupine Tree still gestates the best. There's plenty of that here still and it makes for a tremendous melodic album.

2006-01-08T21:29:00.000+11:00

6. Fripp & Eno- The Equatorial Stars

What a delight! Two releases by the maestro of ambience in the same year and both of them of the highest quality!
With The Equatorial Stars Eno reunites with Robert Fripp who himself has been trying to reinvent himself by releasing several ambient albums. Their previous collaboration, Evening Star dates back to 1975 and the minimal, slightly cold light of that single star representing that album has given way to the myriad of constellations and starshine on this album...or, in normal English- The Equatorial Stars sounds much warmer and brighter. That starts with the appearance of a tapestry of background synths throughout the whole album. Then there's Fripps' guitarplay which only sporadically employs the Frippertronic-technique but is brilliantly dosed, phasing in and out like smokerings almost. Third difference is the use of electronic beats, sometimes like slow pulses but in Altair it gets really funky. It's a sensous album filled with interweaving gorgeous melodies brought by two masters with stars in their eyes, a far cry away from the tapeloops and the layered guitar sounds that they developed 30 years ago.

2006-01-08T20:27:00.000+11:00

7. Dalek- Absence

Hip hop always stood or fell for me with the quality of the lyrics and the music being employed. Dalek (actual pronunciation is Dia-lek) must have heard that because this American trio combines socio-conscious hip hop, scratching and underground industrial noise. The result feels like being hit from both ends with a jackhammer. First there's Dalek himself, who from the a-capella opening Distorted Prose gets straight to the point. No gangsta, no boaster, his rhymes are clear- the dilapidation of society and culture, like in Culture For Dollars, the bankruptcy of mankind through violence in In Midst Of Struggle- it's gritty, sombre lyricism. That is significantly strengthened by Oktopus' production of thudding slow pounding beats and an industrial guitar dominated assault to the senses. Third member Still adds some adventures on the wheel of steel, giving it extra street cred. With the exception of the instrumental Koner all tracks follow the same blueprint which can get boring if it wasn't for the devastating impact this music still makes during repeated listens. Ever Somber is very close to a hip hop My Bloody Valentine-track. It's a grey and bleak album, as underground as they wanna be and totally and utterly fascinating.

2006-01-08T18:06:00.000+11:00

8. Architecture In Helsinki- In Case We Die

The Australian champions of miniature pop have returned with their second album! Losing nothing of their innocent charm of Fingers Crossed, this follow-up is slightly more grown-up. It's well represented in the cover- the childish design with the big red beating heart in the middle.
Eight people playing anything from glockenspiel, tuba, violin to guitar, all sorts of percussion and keyboards, that alone indicates a playschool-like variety in musical thoughts and possibilities. And that is correct- the opening oompa-fanfare of Nevereverdid is the ouverture to minimalist pop. Elsewhere there's more sweet melodies wrapped in 80s-wave (Do The Whirlwind, Maybe You Can Owe Me), vaudeville-like music (Frenchy I'm Faking), sunny sixties pop (The Cemetery) and the more bombastic (if you can call it in this band's case) In Case We Die Pts 1-4. There's no danger of it all becoming too childish, sweet or lightweight. It's pure pop, friendly but seriously engaging. And it comes with a big beating heart, not only on the front but on the inside too.

2006-01-08T16:34:00.000+11:00

9. The National- Alligator

Is there already a subgenre named for the kind of rambling indie-rock bands like Broken Social Scene, The National, Arcade Fire and, to a lesser extent, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Datarock are producing? For all the flaws and perceived lesser importance been given to vocals and clean production, there's a whole batch of albums out there that have a lot of exuberance in presentation and instrumentation. Alligator is probably the most refined and downcast record of this set yet raises the bar by marrying some of the wickedest lyrics with this lovely wrecked music and in guitarist/composer Matt Berninger have a very sensible black velvet-voiced singer. Abel's the most raucous and brings memories of Pixies' energy, Mr. November's a navel starer of the first order and All The Wine the most miserablist and the rest of the songs are nicely placed inbetween that Bermuda triangle. Highlights are the quirky Looking For Astronauts, the sour 'n sweet Karen and the wonderfully offbeat little shoegazer Friend Of Mine.

2006-01-08T15:31:00.000+11:00

10. Amusement Parks On Fire- Amusement Parks On Fire

There's something about home recording that surpasses the trickery of studios, as Cody Chesnutt' The Headphone Masterpiece proved and so does this one. This album was recorded by young Englishman Michael Feerick in his bedroom but boy, it's definitely no maudlin, self indulgent affair. Feerick has affinity with late-eighties rockbands like Ride, Jesus and Mary Chain and Swervedriver- using their sonic abilities of driving rhythms, swirling feedback and a simple melodic line to good effect. He also knows how to make all tracks sound fresh and not bind them to one and the same concept. Songs like Venus To Cancer and Eighty Eight rip a page out of Swervedriver's book have that heavy motor-driving type of guitarsound, Wiper builds layer upon layer of guitar a la My Bloody Valentine before closing of with some ambient piano, the same piano that takes Asphalt (Interlude) to a slowed down affair, complete with violin and scratchy guitar. With enough tongue in cheek to call a track The Ramones Book without resorting to 1-2-3-4 Gabba Gabba Hey but coming up with a moodpiece before slowcore-track Local Boy Makes Good delivers on all shoegazing-fronts, Mr. Feerick has delivered a bedroom-produced classic, adult enough to grant him a go in a real studio.

2006-01-08T14:27:00.000+11:00

11. The Go! Team- Thunder Lightning Strike (2CD-version)

This hi-octane combustible amalgam of sampled funk, big band, blues, film music, rock, hip hop, dance and pop is just one hell of a album. Rarely have I heard music so well constructed without sounding contrived or going for the easy options. The closest comparison I can come up with is The Avalanches' Since I Left You merged with Ennio Morricone conducting the Tower Of Power. Big beats, scratching and turntablism, boogie woogie-piano, echoes of children's soundtracks (Nils Holgersson jumped in my mind at the final track, Everybody's A VIP To Someone), MIA-like chanting from a female MC, driving funky trumpets a la Cliff Noble fronting a wonky rockband, banjos and recorders, organs and god knows what else find a place in a very danceable, infectious maelstrom of sound. It has feelgood written all over it. Nominated for last year's Mercury Music-award showing not everyone had shit in their ears there last year. Originally released in 2004 it also received a re-issue with a bonusEP with B-sides and a new recording of Bottle Rocket.

2006-01-08T13:05:00.000+11:00

12. The Mess Hall- Notes From a Ceiling.

One guitarist, one drummer. Familiar set-up for sure and in all cases the mass of sound these bands create just astounds me. In this case a Sydney twosome recreate the noisy blues a band like Black Keys (another twopiece) so succesfully employs but adds a rock 'n roll swagger and tons of intensity that live already makes this band to one of the most exciting I've seen here but on record manages to capture that for a very large part. Unlike the Keys, they don't get bogged down in one genre but crossover to more genres. There's the Killers-like hi-hattery of Disco # 1, the tongue-in-cheek metal of, er, Metal & Hair or Didley with its bouncing Toollike guitarriff. Only Pills resembles too much of Queens Of The Stone Age's No One Knows but the rest is fresh and original. I can see this band sweep some overseas festivals and win a lot of souls. Notes From A Ceiling is your starter for ten then but don't miss them live.

2006-01-08T12:00:00.000+11:00

13. Nine Inch Nails- With Teeth

Trent Reznor turned 40 last year but that doesn't mean by any stretch of the imaginiation that he's mellowing out or taking it easy. Being the perfectionist he always is and combatting some of his personal demons meant With Teeth took 6 years to finish after his last full studio recording The Fragile. So any change? This album is like a more compact version of The Fragile but where the latter provided some delicious arrangements and juxtaposed the slow, darker wave with white hot industrial noise, With Teeth is more about the song and impact and is closer in design to The Downward Spiral. Plenty of noise and fury but plenty of tunes and bite as well. It's not a classic or as immediate as Pretty Hate Machine but he has made impact once- now songs like Open, The Hand That Feeds, Every Day Is Just the Same and Beside You In Time with its stuttering electro-rhythm feed the need for speed. I just thoroughly enjoyed this comeback and hope it doesn't take him another 6 years of anguish to come up with a new one.

2006-01-08T10:43:00.000+11:00

14. The Go-Betweens- Oceans Apart

2006 marks the 25th anniversary of this Brisbane-outfit who started out their career amongst the great pop boom of the eighties- with bands like Prefab Sprout, Aztec Camera andThe Beautiful South forming a strong pop contingent. There's not much left of that particular scene but the Go-betweens don't care- they keep on churning out great pop records away from all modern music fads. The differences between their albums have always been subtle- this one has a slightly more keyboard-dominated underground from previous albums The Friends Of Rachel Worth and Bright Yellow Bright Orange, replacing the string section. It's not a bad move as the songs that principal members Robert Forster and Grant McLennan conjure blossom under any musical underground and this album has a more mellow mood without getting too sedated which suits the poetry-soaked lyrics of Forster extremely well. Here Comes The City shoots out off the block fast but plays a lone rock-hand...it's songs like the wonderful Darlinghurst Nights, Finding You, boundary Rider, No Reason To Cry and The Mountains Near Dellray that leave the biggest impression. Purist pop heaven.

2006-01-08T10:17:00.000+11:00

15. Kate Bush- Aerial

How the hell did she get away with this? Singing songs about marriage, washing machines, the number pi, her son...Sure, Kate disappeared from the musical stage to lead the domestic life but the way she describes that on the first part of this double album, entitled A Sea Of Honey it's like a spiritual and romantic experience. Admittedly it put me off at first, as for me it was like singing the phonebook but by studying the lyrics it's more than that. The sexuality of clothes turning around in a washing machine in the amazing Mrs. Bertolozzi, the romantic notion of algebra in Pi...it's beyond mundane. Once you get beyond that first impression, listen to the album on a pair of headphones and soak the complete package of music and lyrics in, the album unfolds like a dreamy affair, filled with little notes and images. Strings play a major part in the set up, it's only on the opening King Of The Mountain (about Elvis) and the closing Aerial that Bush comes the closes to a full rock out. In between it is a deeply introverted journey inside the life of this woman, who in her own mind just as easily makes jam sandwiches as dives into the deep blue sea (the beautiful Nocturne on the second, more pastoral side A Sky Of Honey). No Hounds Of Love or Kick Inside-type of accessibility, something more grand, something else beautiful.

2006-01-08T09:04:00.000+11:00

16. Ry Cooder- Chavez Ravine

History is much more than facts and figures neatly arranged in chronological order; it is also sights, sounds and impressions from the people living in that period. This album proves that as Chavez Ravine is an aural snapshot of the Latin area Chavez Ravine in Los Angeles during the late 40s and 50s. Ry Cooder is producer and director of this album; not only does he tell the story of a predominantly Mexican community on the verge of being wiped out because of council wanting to erect the new Dodgers stadium in the barrio they inhabit, but he also shows how they lived there during that period. You can almost smell the streets, the music wafting in and out of the clubs, see the people, old and young scratching a living there. What makes the album so great is the wide variety of musical styles used to tell the story- there's traditional Mexican and other Latin rhythms but also rock, folk, jazz, new age and blues. Like Springsteen's album there's a multifold of storied being told varying from personal memories of loss, boxers, baseball and UFOs, about conspiracy theories ('Don't Call me Red', with the spoken word vocals of Raymond Burr) and of course love. Recorded with great artists who lived and worked during that era, including the late great Lalo Guerrero it is a masterpiece. Like a well researched book with sights, sounds and even smells, Ry Cooder presents an almost Alan Lomax-type part of Mexican/American musical history with true grit and passion.

2006-01-08T00:03:00.000+11:00

17. Decoder Ring- Fractions

Decoder Ring came to prominence in Australia last year after capturing several awards for their soundtrack to the film Somersault. Fractions is their second album proper, follow up to their self titled debut from two years ago yet has more in common with the fractured pieces of the soundtrack.
The band has chosen for a wider variety of influences which all have an ambient edge, if you can call it like that; opener Jets is almost pulled from the New Order-book of 80s new wave-singles, then Serac is like diving into a cloud of synthesizer bliss, via Traffic, featuring Art Of Fighting's vocalist Ollie Brown in a Radiohead-like rock tune, 451 is darkwave with a funked out bassline to the title track which is almost a normal indie-tune with chugging guitars over a cheesy keyboardline. Lushly produced it's one that has immediate appeal to lovers of keyboard music as well as yer standard (indie-)pop fare. It's tough not to bury this one under hifalutin terms like 'ethereal' and 'shimmering' but in stages that's what Decoder Ring give you. Awesome album.

2006-01-07T23:13:00.000+11:00

18. The Panics- Sleeps Like A Curse

So many good bands from Australia around these days who write a good pop song and choose not to soak it in rock overload but use strings and a more quirky pop-attitude to great effect- Epicure, Art of Fighting, Augie March, Gersey but to name a few of the more influential and interesting. The Panics slot in easily in that row. This Perth-band are as Australian as the heat coming from the pavement of a hot summer's day, their music being the aural equivalent of that. The opening song on this, their second album, One Too Many Itches sets the pace pretty much for the rest- singer Jae Leffer's slightly hushed and drawling voice measures up nicely against an infectious pop song with its big toe dipped in bits of surf music and country (like the yin and yang of the Australian land itself). Added slideguitar and sampling add a bit of texture but the songs themselves are pretty enough- ironically that therefore the one song with a bit more darker side titled Minor A is my favourite. Very listener friendly and a great rock 'n roll-antithesis record.

2006-01-07T21:28:00.000+11:00

19. Toumani Diabate & Ali Farka Toure- In The Heart Of The Moon

Reportedly this album came about spontaneously with guitarist Ali Farka Toure from Mali and griot/kora player Toumani Diabate agreeing to a series of live duets in amongst their busy schedules and without any time to rehearse. If that is true then this result's even more impressive.
This is no battle for supremacy or a show-off. It's two very inventive artists interacting acoustically. It's amazing how they feel each other out, inviting each other to take a lead or engage in call-and-respond techniques. You don't hear something like this in rock music. Diabate's tinkling kora (like the higher regions of a harp) corresponds very well with the fingerpicking of Toure's guitar and even don't need the addition of Ry Cooder's piano and guitar on a few tracks. Nothing short of amazing!

2006-01-07T20:44:00.000+11:00

20. Bruce Springsteen- Devils & Dust

With every album released this man just grows in stature for me. After the complete musical delights of The Rising, Bruce doesn't take the easy way and tries to recreate the same album but reaches back to the storyteller-albums like Nebraska and The Ghost Of Tom Joad. As a chronicler of modern America he is almost without peer. Musically he usurps everything between country, pop and rock and creates great undergrounds for his rasping, weather worn voice. Lyrically he delivers 12 tales of memory, loss, love and heartbreak without any banality but with a knife-edged reality and poetic romantic sense. No politics like on Tom Joad but tales like a young man's first visit to a hooker, the plight of young Mexicans trying to cross a river onto freedom and sadly drowning, a dream of a boy riding horses trying to remember his mother, a prizefighter telling his life story and Jesus not being depicted as the Saviour but as a son. Emotive and honest. The songs are more lusciously arranged than on Tom Joad and Nebraska- one could argue it detracts from the lyrics but the music it like a soothing balm on the raw spots the vocals leave behind.

2006-01-07T19:30:00.000+11:00

21. Editors- The Back Room

Try write a review on this band without using any references to Interpol and/or Joy Division. The references are pretty clear on listening to The Back Room- the new-wave basslines, crisp percussion and chugging guitars on a large part of the tracks are very much reminiscent. So it comes down to the quality of the songs and this is a very pleasant album that delivers plenty of hooks and punch. In Tom Smith the band has a smooth vocalist who doesn't need any trickery while his band around him are very tight and minimalistic in their approach, especially guitarist Chris Urbanowicz who plays some great staccato riffs. Tracks like All Sparks, Munich and Bullets are blessed with killer melodies too and in the slightly sprawling Open Your Arms the album finds a good closer. My edition came with the attached Cuttings EP and have in Let Your Good Heart Lead You Home a track that almost trumps the lot I heard before! So how long before hacks will write about bands that are sounding like The Editors???

2006-01-07T18:39:00.000+11:00

22. Opeth- Ghost Reveries

It's amazing to see the progression of this bastion of Swedish death metal-force to an innovative metal act that has wowed and converted many fans of the progressive metal-scene. Even though albums like 2001's Blackwater Park set the template for what was to follow, it was with the twin-releases of Deliverance and Damnation that crystallisation of this change in style started. Both those albums were produced by prog-rock wunderkind Steven Wilson who brought a whole new sense of melancholica and style of composition to the piledriving rhythms the band has used for so long and are utterly different from each other- the first another brilliant assault, the latter a moody, down-key masterpiece that barely employs any of the strong arm-tactics Opeth earlier exploited. Ghost Reveries now shows the next step up- using their technical nous, Mikael Akerfeldt's growl-'n-shrieking vocals and his tales of sickness, isolation and desperation in more prog-rock surroundings- seven long tracks (and one short), the walls of speedy metal interspersed with strings and contemplative passages, poetry and brutality waxing and waning. This is one of the most innovative and interesting metal-albums of the year with Opeth at their compository and musical best, especially in the brilliant Reverie/Harlequin Forest which is a complete suite in 11 minutes and even at that length is almost too short.

2006-01-07T18:18:00.000+11:00

23. Harold Budd/Robin Guthrie- Music From the Film Mysterious Skin

This record is almost diametrically opposed to the film's content- a hard-edged film that deals with two youths battling the after effects of being the victims of a pedophile, with one of them finding a life as a hustler, the other convinced that he has been abducted by aliens. While this makes at times for very uncomfortable viewing, this soundtrack gives it almost a sweet and sour background. Pianist Harold Budd teams up wit Cocteau Twins-guitarist Robin Guthrie for the music that doesn't emphasise the harshness of the situation but rather offers a mean of escape. And does that really well. The two have collaborated in the past on Budd's Lovely Thunder, where the unobtrusive, weaving echoed guitars of Guthrie shirked up against the slow, deliberate pianotouches of Budd. This one follows the same paths but without the bed of synths that drowned out the overall sound. Guthrie's signature guitar sound is more defined here and that suits Budd right down to the ground as the two create beautiful melancholic music. Sadly enough Harold Budd has announced his retirement from producing more records- on the basis of this soundtrack I hope he rues that decision soon.

2006-01-07T17:22:00.000+11:00

24. Susumu Yokota- Symbol

Now that most ambient/electronic music has been downgraded to new age or elevator muzak, how can you as composer keep your compositions away from that woolly denominator? Susumu Yokota has been finding the answer in changing his style of music with virtually every album- from technobeats at the Grinning Cat to this album where he merges his ambient stylings up with less techno-like contemporary beats and classical samples which dominate the atmosphere- there's string parts looped up galore, mixed up with synths and the voice of Meredith Monk. But this is just more than an electronic artist pilfering the coffers of classical music and using classical tunes for easy listening purposes. For one- the samples aren't solely being used as source material but sometimes as rhythmic counterpoints to other melodies, And this ain't easy listening- it's quite absorbing at times but through the streams of loops, Yokota's piano, vocals and beats there's a warm, graceful attractive record that sounds esthetically ambient but admirably challenges at the same time.

2006-01-07T16:31:00.000+11:00

25. Tori Amos- The Beekeeper

She'll never make an album that's with any concession to whatever genre or style and that doesn't carry any bit of her personality within the lyrics. The question is how susceptible the listener is to that after eight albums. In itself it's a challenge that Tori has been dealing with respectable results- the music has changed her life, yet the purging of her soul still continues. So it comes down to melodies, structure and delivery. Melodies aplenty- Parasol, Witness (with gospel choir!), Sleeps With Butterflies and Ribbons Undone. Structure- definitely- the common link is in her lyrics which are still quite cryptic but delivered in that clear crooning style of her can turn songs from positive to moody in a heartbeat. There's 19 tracks on this album that at first glance might seem like overload but don't crowd the album. In general there's a more happy Tori out there who has made a career of making her veneer, desperation and hope shine in shimmering music for almost 15 years now. It doesn't matter how The Beekeeper ranks amongst her previous work, either you're perceptive to the many moods she brings or not. So, for me, another quality Tori-product.

2006-01-07T15:10:00.000+11:00

26. Okkervil River- Black Sheep Boy

From the artistic cover image, the artsy graphics to the extensive lyrics in the booklet this album shouts out ambition. I guess in this whole world of neo-folk it pays dividends to have this artistic flair- Devendra Banheart's drawings on covers and booklets, Sufjan Stevens' extensive songtitles, Bright Eyes' mix of both...but at the end of it all it needs to translate to good music. With a lot of this genre I found it to be hit and miss. Why Okkervil River trumps the lot though is the fresh wind of electric guitar cutting through the meandering atmosphere, especially For Real, Black and The Latest Toughs. Then there are the tracks that follow those neo-folk kind of lines, where strings, guitar, barroom piano and a keyboard determine the minor key atmosphere and where singer Will Sheff's round and full vocals dominate without getting overbearing. It's a really pleasant record saved from getting boring by kicking up some leaves rather than dragging their feet in them.

2006-01-04T22:55:00.000+11:00

27. Cog- The New Normal

Cog have been around for a while, released two outstanding EPs and a single (including a cover of Leftfield/Lydon's Open Up) and stepped up this year to the full album ranks. The band wrought symphonic arranged metal with a Tool-like propensity into solid songs or longer epics. You can make many references to their sound and the thing is that there are many but with this band it doesn't matter. The shorter songs like Run, Resonate and My Enemy do go for the immediate impact and do it well, but my favourite tracks are the more time consuming and intense The Spine and the 10-minute masterpiece Doors (Now And Then My Life Feels Like It's Going Nowhere) where technical metal, prog and hardrock interlope and showcase the abilities of this three man band- especially drummer Lucius Borich is freakishly good. Live the band surpasses even this album, which is the best way to hear this band...don't miss 'em when they're playing near you.

2006-01-04T22:17:00.000+11:00

28. Dungen- Ta Det Lugnt

Having wallowed for so long in vintage prog and psychedelica, I noticed how so many bands these days cut the classics of the genre up with modern tools or using elements out of electronica or metal to create their own sound. How refreshing to stumble on an album that is so old-school it makes it actually unique. Ta Det Lugnt jerked me straight back into the early seventies-period of the progressive genre. Just the way how the guitars are fuzzed out, the organ and flute sounds are genuine and the melodies are influenced by bits of hard rock, free jazz, psychedelica and folk, this double album's showing the full haul. It's like Ozric Tentacles getting timewarped to that early 70s-era and getting a heavy lesson from Jethro Tull, Deep Purple and Sun Ra. Dungen also managed to make sure the tracks aren't too long and keeps it interesting throughout by changing instrumentarium and moods throughout some pretty good melodies. Totally diggin' it man!

2006-01-04T21:00:00.000+11:00

29. John Cale- BlackAcetate

This one snuck up on me. Having not really had too much affinity with Cale's solo-material post-Velvets I was enamoured by Hobo Sapiens. Not an easy album but rewarding to see Cale mixing up electronics and chamber pop to an eclectic weird listen. This one doesn't veer too much from that path- Cale sounds unfashionably noisy on it and, at first listen, BlackAcetate sounds less impressive than Hobo, but I can't stop playing songs like Gravel Drive, In A Flood, Wasteland and Turn The Lights On, which, regardless who performs it, are good tracks. Off-kilter tunes, anywhere inbetween straight rock or melancholic pop but without any easy way out. Only opener Outta The Bag sounds like Cale had the funk hit him like a low blow. The album got panned by quite a few people but what do hacks know anyway?

2006-01-03T20:38:00.000+11:00

30. Richard Thompson- Front Parlour Ballads

It's been a bit of a mystery to me why Richard Thompson hasn't more often recorded acoustic sessions. Seems he never felt it necessary to bring his songs without some form of electricity and you wouldn't miss it anyway- that was until this album was released. I'm not gonna argue about how acoustic's sometimes better, hoe less is sometimes more or how the songs are more alive if people only have to concentrate on Thompson's voice and guitar- quite simple it's that these songs don't need more than what they already have. Thompson's mark of quality is all over them. Lyrically he's adroit as ever- opening the album with "He was a species on the verge of extinction, she was an Air New Zealand hostess", always looking for some irony in the mundain. Great wordsmithery aside, Front Parlour Ballads is a great will and testament for a man who has lost some ballast and never has felt more alive.

2006-01-02T22:27:00.000+11:00

31. Anneli Drecker- Frolic

There's something mightily wrong here when an accessible record like this second album from Norwegian's Anneli (Marian) Drecker doesn't get a worldwide release. The voice behind electronic moodmeisters Bel Canto has been underground for some time now with her product fairly difficult to get, virtually in the same fashion Bel Canto fared- the band gaining popularity in Europe with their first three albums, then falling into quiet anonimity and the last few CDs only available through Norwegian import. Drecker has not been completely blanked out- her beautiful voice appears on albums by Royksopp with whom she has toured in recent times and who repay her by producing first track You Don't Have To Change on this album. It's a pretty light album with references to her Bel Canto-past less the ethereal bits but a more groovy New Romantic-feeling. It's her vocals that lift the album up and make it a favourite in my player, still possessing that innocent charm, the lightly Nordic accent in her accent but clear as crystal. A very likeable record.

2006-01-02T21:29:00.000+11:00

32. British Sea Power- Open Season

It's weird to listen to this sophomore album and to realise that on so many fronts it doesn't hold up to its predecessor, The Decline Of British Sea Power, yet, in all, it is the more satisfying effort. Decline boasted some classic rock singles in Remember Me and Fear Of Drowning and kept all its postpunk-Britpop essentials compacted in one exhilarating listen. Open Season disposes largely of the spiky rock and nestles somewhere halfway between Interpol and New Order (the basslines) with dashes of XTC (How Will I Ever Find My Way Home) and Lloyd Cole (the Britishness in the vocals). The calmer approach gives the songs less punch (well, how do you better Remember Me?) but a more compassionate, delicate quality. North Hanging Rock and True Adventures never would have made it on the first album because of their more fragile nature. Be Gone, It Ended On An Oily Stage and Oh Larsen B are well served without the heavy guitars and are great rocksongs with nice riffs. If The Decline has the potential of a sprinter, then Open Season is definitely the stayer of the two albums- different but in the end, lasting longer.

2006-01-02T19:34:00.000+11:00

33. Daniel Lanois- Belladonna

Daniel Lanois again likes to remind the music communuity that first and foremost he is a musician. Lauded as part of the producing team behind, amongst others, U2 and The Neville Brothers, he has in the last two years released several albums in which he exposed his love for pedal steel guitar, an Americana sense of folk, country and blues and the ambient sensibilities of his one time collaborator, Brian Eno. On Shine, the great album he released in 2003 he worked within a song capacity using various vocalists, this CD sees him work his magic mostly instrumentally. It's his variations in guitar styles that keeps the album interesting, from his trusted pedal steel guitar to dosed feedback and using Latin rhythms like mariachi to offset against the more spacey soundscapes he uses to give the tracks more depth. Don't expect another ambient album, the songs don't float away and are certainly not without weight but they have an airlike quality about them which are exposed by listening to his album with headphones. Very nice disc.

2006-01-02T18:17:00.000+11:00

34. Jon Hassell- Maarifa Street: Magic Realism vol. 2

A good return to form for this avant-garde trumpettist. His last lifesign, 2003's Voiceprint saw his distinctive treated trumpetsounds being carved up in very busy electronic traffic with mixed results. Maarifa Street sees Hassell following the trail of classic albums like Possible Musics: Fourth World Vol. 1 where the jazzy multilayered sounds of Hassell lazily floated upon the introverted electronic stream, aided by low-key acoustic and electronic percussion. It's not about melodies but creating textures and in seven lengthy pieces Hassell doesn't choose for easy trips but challenging the listener at every turn. The final pieces, Darbari Bridge and Open Secret are the most accessible, reminiscent of Chemistry off Possible Musics, creating the atmosphere of a warm summer's night in the jungle.

2006-01-02T16:28:00.000+11:00

35. Echo and the Bunnymen- Siberia

Ian McCullough and Will Sergeant have been motoring on for quite some time now but never have been able to get anywhere near the brilliance of 1984's Ocean Rain. Is that a fair target to set? Perhaps not, but if the bar's not set to the highest level, how else will this band find a way back to the listener's heart?
Siberia will not convert too many people to their cause but it's the best set of songs the pair have come up with for a long time. That is due part to the more open chords used by Sergeant, who has his most effective moment on songs like Of A Life, Scissors In the Sand and especially in songs like Everything Kills You and In The Margins where the sustained guitar gives it a bit of a shoegazing-effect. Only What if We Are is a bit too kitschy but the remainder is solid. Shame that this album looks set to sink amongst the releases of more quirky British bands, using the same quirk and charm McCullough employed with great acclaim 20 years ago, even though this album is much more mature...

2006-01-02T15:59:00.000+11:00

36. Nine Horses- Snow Borne Sorrow

It's almost criminal to see how David Sylvian has been directed to the outer margins of music but then again, he hasn't made it easy on his listeners who expected him to build on the expansive pop he made on albums like Dead Bees On A Cake. Blemish, recorded in 2003 was the first step onto a minimalist platform which wasn't quite convincing. Here Sylvian combines with brother and Japan-colleague Steve Jansen and Drone-mainman Burnt Friedman, electronics expert in a new band and the result is nothing but outstanding. Swirling electronic beats and loops, trumpet and horns and acoustic and electric guitars (shades of Fripp even in Darkest Birds!) find their way in almost Japan-like circumstances as the snake-like basslines of Jansen and Sylvian's voice sounds like of old. With added assistance of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Stina Nordenstam the band has created nine moodpieces that seems to stroll through the Sylvian back-catalogue and modernise it. Standout- The Librarian.

2006-01-02T13:05:00.000+11:00

37. Ween- Shinola Vol. 1

Releasing albums with rarities and B-sides, as this one is, are always fraught with danger as they rarely are being counted as full albums and are more likely to be fan-only material as most of these CDs like to showcase the various other sides bands and artists like to showcase (Deftones' B-sides-album is a good example of this). In Weens case it is been made extremely easy as the band rarely can be put down on one particular genre and their output always showcases their many influences...so how this one stands up against their 'normal' releases? Quite well indeed. It's their most diverse set since White Pepper, humourous as ever and highlighting their many musical influences. It's almost like a tribute-album of sorts as Ween seem to pay homage to some of their musical heroes- Thin Lizzy could have written Gabrielle and there's a nod to Prince on Monique The Funk. Mixed up in it are loungejazz on Transitions, lightly psychedelic tunes like Did You See Me? and The Rift and the typically Ween-electronic overdrive on Big Fat Fuck. Nothing on it sounds like throwaway or demo, they are sincere studio-recordings and you wonder why they never were included on any of their regular albums. Perhaps Ween are their own worst critics which hopefully means volume 2 will bring more nuggets to the fore.

2006-01-02T12:12:00.000+11:00

38. Dead Can Dance- Live At London April 7, 2005

Not released through a record company but commissioned through a website, renowned due Dead Can Dance had their European and American reunion tour of this year recorded, mixed and released professionally in beautifully packaged limited edition 2CD-sets. Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard took their show on the road after a 10 year hiatus which saw both members go their separate musical ways. The magic's still there and the band has included several brand new tracks which slot in nicely with their already impressive output, most notably, closing track Hymn For The Fallen, where Lisa Gerrard abandons her operatical sounding vocals for a Billie Holiday-styled croon which suits her very well. With a tremendous sound quality and thoughtful song selection a welcome reminder of how great this band really is and hopefully a precursor of more things to come. The London-gig is one of the best ones but there are many gigs to choose from since there are still some discs left- for them, check out www.dcddiscs.com

2006-01-01T23:57:00.000+11:00

39. Breakestra- Hit The Floor

Hip hop most of the time for me goes limp on the musical aspects, as sampling and slow paced electronic backing are the only ingredients and on that small basis often fail to impress me. Breakestra have been able to combine the fury of hip hop with a ten piece live-band approach to sampling and backing, incorporating a whole bag of influences- funk, soul, jazzy breaks and R&B. It sounds like Jurassic Five being backed by a freestyle James Brown-band or the James Taylor Quartet. Some of the raps could be sharper but a funkier record than this one I haven't found this year.

2006-01-01T23:00:00.000+11:00

40. My Morning Jacket- Z

Talk about a band spreading its wings and fly beyond its natural territory. Without completely abandoning the Americana countryrock-mantle being thrown over them by press and fans alike (closing track Dondante could fit easily on Neil Young's latest album Prairie Wind), Jim James and his men venture into different musical territories- from the breezy poppy singalong Off The Record, the ambitious pop of Wordless Chorus to the reverential Gideon, blessed with a guitar arpeggio Johnny Greenwood wouldn't have mind to have written. This is by far the most diverse album the band has recorded and yet won't alienate long time fans. I really dig Jim James' vocals which are safe in the higher regions and give the music extra cachet rather than detract from it. Z it may be called but it is far from being sleepy music.

2006-01-01T22:26:00.000+11:00

41. Dream Theater- Octavarium

I will be honest- this isn't their best album by a mile but it speaks volumes that Dream Theater are leading the symfo-pack yet again. Throne-pretendents Spocks Beard and Flower Kings haven't been able to string together consistent albums, the former only releasing a live album this year, the latter disappointing with their last effort, 2004's Adam & Eve and even heavyweights as Pallas and IQ are releasing patchy albums. Octavarium is (here come the cliches) tight as hell. John Petrucci shows no sign of gving up his reign as guitar god as he pounds out riff after riff in the excellent opener The Root Of All Evil. But it's the whole band that shines in the 24-minute classic title track, pulling out all stops technically and musically, calling in the help of a symphony orchestra and showcasing the various elements of their trade, from mystique interludes to raw heavy metal, knocking all pretenders flat on their ass- on basis of that track alone they deserve this entry!

2006-01-01T21:18:00.000+11:00

42. Stars- Set Yourself On Fire

One of those titles that was coined by many indie-pop lovers as one of the biggest discoveries of 2005 (yes, they have released two other albums, I know). Shame that it's only the people who have this 'form' of music on their listening agenda ever hear this album, for it deserves a wider audience (sure, doesn't everything) as the band veers between fuzzed out electronics, chamber music with horns and romantic pop. Without ever resorting to getting too schmaltzy in the arrangements, Stars manage to write some achingly beautiful tunes, like in the opener Your Ex-Lover Is Dead where the strings collide with Marr-like guitarwork backed by electronica or the more punchy Reunion or The First Five Times that are reminiscent of Saint Etienne's catalogue. The down-to-earth male and female vocals and some edgy lyrics finish off a refreshing upbeat album.

2006-01-01T20:04:00.000+11:00

43. Konono No. 1- Congotronics

The best dance record of 2005? Yes. And that without a doof-doofbeat as backing but the sound of three electrically jacked up thumb pianos backed by a whole orchestra seemingly using garbage as percussion instruments whipping traditional rhythms up into a new frenetic high.

Has African music lost a lot of momentum? I don't know but it seems that there's a distinctive lack of new releases coming through that get attention. I'm glad that this one didn't slip by, for this Congolese little pearl is a tribute to the non-professionalism of musicians, who, armed with whatever they could get their hands on, recreate the rhumba fronted by three amped up thumb pianos who lead the way with irresistable melodies. Man, love to see this band perform and feel those rhythms come to live even more!

2006-01-01T19:19:00.000+11:00

44. The Dirty Three- Cinder

For six decorated albums long has this Australian trio been underway, leaving their tracks well within their stomping ground of instrumental avantgarde, chamber music and post-rock. So what new ways can this band travel to? Warren Ellis, violinist extraordinaire had for the last few years opened up a new pathway as part of Nick Cave's Bad Seeds and developed a more direct, explosive style. The Dirty Three always used their sprawling musical pieces between that explosiveness and meditative calm, using their improvisational skills to qualitative ever growing heights. With Cinder there's that marked change. That starts off with 19 tracks so less time for development and more opportunities to exploit the various moods they can develop. More instruments- bouzouki, bagpipes, zither, organ, bass- added to the palette mean more ways of communicating their unique sounds of sorrow. Unique is also the two vocal pieces with Cat Power's Chan Marshall (oh, an album with those two powers would indeed be the greatest) and Sally Timms performing admirably but it is Mick Turner, Warren Ellis and Jim White's versatility that steals the show.

2006-01-01T18:27:00.000+11:00

45. Kraftwerk- Mimimum Maximum

It was a strange year for this renowned reclusive force in electronic music- seeing original members Ralf Hutter and Florian Schneider reviving the band, including Fritz Hilper and Henning Schmitz for the tour, playing festivals and many individual gigs, bringing their robot revolutionary theory to a new level- four men behind desks with laptops, quietly clicking a mouse and so unleashing some of the most divine music upon the adoring masses. Mimimum Maximum, the document from that amazing tour doesn't bring any new material but a hi-tec regurging of their greatest hits. Interesting is the hybridisation of The Robots and Radioactivity, which in recent past had been readapted to technolike tunes, courtesy of their 1991 remix-compilation The Mix, but reemerge here with parts of their original sound integrated to their more modern transformation. As live-albums go perhaps not the most necessary of releases and this entry is indeed a shameless admission of nostalgia but also an unashamed admission of how good this music still sounds after 30 plus years, when Autobahn was released.

2006-01-01T17:26:00.000+11:00

46. Franz Ferdinand- You Could Have It So Much Better

The hi-hatting brigade moves on. Last year's debut was a somewhat cheesy delight but with competition from likeminded bands like the Killers and Bloc Party were always going to be forced to up the ante from that album. Let's say they have partly succeeded on the back of their knack of writing a slew of potential summerhits without doing too much different. Another saving grace in the face of commercial indie backlash is the tongue-in-cheek approach of singer Alex Kapranos, who doesn't take himself so serious as Julian Casablancas and wins the sceptic over- add to that the groovy guitarwork of Nick McCarthy who keeps his composure- sometimes you wish he'd blast out more. It doesn't matter. FF have maintained momentum for now- not much has changed, now for that difficult third album....

2006-01-01T16:50:00.000+11:00

47. Gorillaz- Demon Days

I could come up with more reasons why I shouldn't like this record or the various components of it- I'm not a fan of Damon Albarn, am not really huge on hiphop and think the whole concept of Gorillaz is very contrived. And yet, here's their second album and it has captured my stereo and proved one main theory of musical appreciation- preconceptions will stop you from hearing great albums.
Led by strong singles Feel Good Inc. and Dare, Albarn and new collaborator Danger Mouse have created a comic-style of album with a nice pedestrian pace and dosing crisp beats, clever samples and welldelivered bouts of hiphop lyricism without ever forgetting the all-important melodic line- the little Kraftwerkian keyboardloop from Dirty Harry being one that doesn't leave the cranium for a long time. I wondered why they need the whole cartoon-shenanigan but perhaps hiding behind the anonimity of the characters was needed to provide Damon Albarn with the added inspiration to create this unblurred, focussed album. Damn good.

2006-01-01T16:06:00.000+11:00

48. The Drones- Wait Long By The River And The Bodies Of Your Enemies Will Float By

Not having heard their debut album, I was no doubt fooled by the title that generated more thoughts about any of the Godspeed You! Black Emperor-type of post-rock bands but instead was greeted with a rawboned guitarband that defied the trend of shiny, glittery sounding guitarbands currently earning the grace and favour of the public. The Drones are a band who have a lot in common with the rough and tumble bluespunk of The Beasts Of Bourbon, The Saints and early Bad Seeds, an example that is rare to see in a very large and potent Australian guitar scene. Using their sonic guitar attack to good effect in all tracks but also not forgetting to fill their smoking sound with killer tracks like opener Shark Fin Blues (Nick cave might remember the kind of veneer Drones' vocalist Gareth Liddiard growls out from 25 years ago), the Drones manage to keep this assault going throughout lengthy tracks, unusual for this style of music- the shortest track, Baby2, clocks around 3 and a half minute, the rest around the 5, 6 minute mark. The Drones bring the whisky-fuelled drawl and drunken swagger back to rock and roll, wrapped in poise, feedback and a wry smile. Live it should work out to a sweatfest of Lux Interior-like proportions.

2006-01-01T14:26:00.000+11:00

49. The Magic Numbers- The Magic Numbers

Boy, did the hype surrounding this one hit the shores of Australia well before any note of music was heard! So the question immediately became from "How does this one sound" to "Does it live up to the hype?" So many times that hangs like a millstone around the necks of many new bands as it unfairly heightens the threshold for criticism.
The Magic Numbers' main weapon to combat that is their irresistible charm and a sunny disposition in their songs. You're either susceptible for that or find them too lightweight which means you'd bypass them but wouldn't blame them for being the way they are. It's friendly, sixties-harmonic music without being (too) twee. So does it have enough hooks to hang up your musical hat onto? Perhaps not enough. What it does is set itself off against many contemporaries who use sixties folk to a freeform that want to challenge the standard but didn't hook me at all (Devendra Banheart, Cocorosie, Joanna Newsom) but envelop you with a warm and friendly sound. Discussing the various tracks doesn't matter. Only gripe would be about singer Romeo Stodart's sleepy vocals getting a bit too formulaic but in this hot Aussie summer it's the vibe that's the most prevalent here anyway.

2006-01-01T12:11:00.000+11:00

Exorcising 2005: Maarts' finest 50 albums:

50. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah

This certainly was the year rambling pop took over. The Arcade Fire (one of my fave albums of last year and not appearing in this list because of that), The Wolf Parade, Broken Social Scene and The National set a pretty good template and this album followed in the footsteps without imitating too much of the music. These almost out-of tune shouty vocals gave many albums this demo-ish character which for some reason easily passed everyone's taste-test as long as it was part of some infectious musical background. And that's what this band has done.
After it's carnival-style opening, shouting 'away we go', away we go indeed. It's not all a smooth ride though as the band sometimes maintains their puberal humour throughout (some of the songtitles are naff and some tracks feel like ineffectual interludes) but there's an honest undertone amongst all the fun and good melodies on the surface. Notably songs like Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away, The Skin Of My Country Yellow Teeth and highlight In This Home Of Ice have a good hookline where the vocal lines do match the chugging guitars and NewOrderian basslines pretty neatly and somehow manage not to get too much on my nerves. That's a pretty good way of convincing me to play the album again and again, which is what happened this year and why it's propping up my list.

Err, yeah!

2006-01-01T11:21:00.000+11:00

I just got to clear my mind and start writing again. I've been doing this message boards thing for years and years and feel I want to write more but been absorbed by my work and I want to rediscover my love for writing.
That's the reason for this blog- a writing exorcision!
So I start this blog self-indulgent- well, never mind! Hope that some of the writings make sense and give a few people enjoyment.

Happy New Year!