Think of One - Trafico

Name: Think of One
Album: Trafico
Year: 2006
Style: Afro Beat, Funk, Samba, Jazz
Similar Bands: Stereolab, Kid Creole & the Coconuts, Sergio Mendez
"One-Word" Review: Energetic Jazzy Big World Band
Based Out Of: Antwerp, Belgium
Label: Crammed Discs, Ryko

Cover, Back & Fold Out

Inner Pics, CD Tray, CD, Liner Notes, Booklet Cover and Back

Lyrics

Lyrics

Lyrics

Lyrics

Lyrics

Trafico (2006)

1. Essa Mesa 4:55 (single)
2. Samba Belga 4:47
3. Tirar Onda 3:35
4. Trafico 4:08
5. Tahina 4:39
6. Aai 4:59 (single)
7. Maria Chegou 4:39
8. Flor d'Agua 4:13
9. Feira de Mangaio 4:17
10. Maracatu Misterioso 6:10
11. Coracao de Papel 4:16
12. Tirar Onda (Chorinho) 3:14

Album Rating (1-10): 7.5

Members & Other Bands:

• David Bovee - Guitar, Vox, Keys, Producer, Photos (Flat Earth Society, SWAN, Ansatz Der Maschine, DAAU, Fes, Josse De Pauw, Orquestra Frevo do Mundo)
• Eric Morel - Sax (Flat Earth Society, Shakara United, Virginia Woolf, D'Stephanie, Zita Swoon, Arno, Fes, Josse De Pauw, Arno, Crayon Sun, Rise & Fall of an Individual, DJ Aldolino)
• Roel Poriau - Trumpet, Bugle, Producer, Recording Engineer, Recording, Editing, Mixing (Antwerp Gipsy Ska Orkesrtra, Flat Earth Society, Flowers for Breakfast, Flemming, Daau, Myrddin, Lady Angelina, Les Blauw, Rum Baristas, Gansan)
• Tomas De Smet - Bass, Keys, Photos (Front Cafe Band, King Dalton, Les Blauw, Moondog Jr, Zita Swoon, Broken Circle Breakdown Bluegrass Band, Kiss My Jazz, Magnus, Myrddin, dEUS, Het Zesde Metaal, Birds that Change Colour, Crayon Sun, 
• Dona Cils do Coco - Vox
• Hugo Carranca - Drums, Percussion (Sheik Tosado)
• Peter Vanderberg - Hammond Organ (Alain Cupper Quartet, Caca, Flat Earth Society, Monsoon, Orchestra Exotica, Shakara United, Too Noisy Fish, Universe Zero, X-Legged Sally, nAncy, Sharko, Pierre Vervloesem, FES, Payskens & Van Hoeck, Josse De Pauw, Katja Vandl, My TV is Dead, Bruno Vansina, Goudi, Das Kapital, 
• Bruno Van Sina - Baritone Sax
• Marc Meeuwissen - Trombone (Flat Earth Society, Monza, Marie Dauine, FES, Belgian Afro beat Association, Peter Vermeersch, The National, Shakara United)
• Stefaan Blancke - Trombone  (Bar8, Capsule, Flat Earth Society, Sharaka United, Chitlin Fooks, Arno, Josse De Pauw, Jempy En Bongo, Franco Saint De Bakker, Antwerp Gipsy Ska Orkestra)
• Michael Weilacher - Marimba, Vibraphone (Ictus, MDuo, Karel Goeyvaerts, Paulo Chagas, Champ D'Action, Volker Staub, Bherman, Vanishing Pictures, Guy De Bievre, Dirk Wachtelaer, COIN, Kris Dane, Heaven And, Riccardo Nova, Luciano Berio, Mike PattonJonathan Harvey, Mark Andre, Automat, Warble, Somnambulist)
• Ricardo Lourenco - Violao 
• Sergio Lemos - Cuica (Linda Martini)
• Fernanda Boechat - Vox 
• Sheyla Vidal - Vox
• Ale Oliviera - Vox, Photos 
• Carolina de Renesse - Vox
• Lucie de Renesse - Vox
• Pitcho Bovee - Sounds
• Bert Van Roy - Recording Engineer, Mixing
• Yann Arnaud - Mixing
• Chris Harrison - Mixing
• Andre Oliveira - Mixing
• Vincent Kenis - Mixing, Mastering
• Karel De Backer - Mastering
• Tom Hautekiet - Artwork
• Rob Walbers - Photos
• Mary Gatis - Photos
• Hannah Gorjaczkowska - Art Direction

Unknown-ness: Never heard of them when i got this, and i'm not even that sure when i got it...it might have been at a Tower Records listening booth and i liked it, but i don't remember the circumstances. For the longest time, i thought the band name & album title were reversed, and that they were a Hispanic / Mexican band from So Cal. But based on the liner notes, i don't think that's true at all.

Album Review: Apparently they are a nomad-like band, who travel to different places and cultures to absorb the music and work with musicians of that area to create multi-cultural albums, in this case, Brasil. Other cultures they studied were Moroccan, Inuit, and Congolese. They even toured around Europe in a van that could convert into a sound stage for outdoor or spurt-of-the-moment shows, and have won awards for best World / Boundary Crossing Music.

The songs contain a large amount of brass and jazzy swing. Most are very energetic songs to make you move, like a Samba. One quieter songs add a little reggae vibe, and another adds a jazzy french Stereolab sort of song (Aai)

Stand Out Track: Aai

Links:

Discogs

Allmusic

Crammed Discs
BBC

Spotify

Musica Brasileira

Trapezoid - s/t

Name: Trapezoid
Album: s/t
Year: 1975
Style: Old Tyme, Folk, Irish
Similar Bands: (per allmusic) Darol Anger, Metamora, Mark O'Connor, Oregon, Adrian Legg, John McCutcheon
"One-Word" Review: Celtic Baroque Renaissance Fair
Based Out Of: West Virginia
Label: Troubadour Records

Cover, Catalogue, Record

Back, Catalogue, Record

Trapezoid (1975)

1. British Grenadiers/Swinging on a Gate 3:00
2. Opera Reel 2:15
3. Planxty George Brabizon 4:20
4. Whiskey Before Breakfast 2:46
5. Carrie Under the Arbor 2:25
6. Southwind 2:57 /
7. Dill Pickle's Rag 4:05
8. Jamie Allen 2:16
9. Wonderous Love 3:00
10. O'Carolan's Concerto 2:50
11. Chorus Jig 2:22
12. Margaret's Walk 3:22

Album Rating (1-10): 5.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Sam Rizzetta - Hammered Dulcimer, Fretted Dulcimer, Concertina (Madeline MacNeil, Blackie Cool, Maggie Sansone)
• Paul Reisler - Bass Dulcimer, Guitar (A Thousand Questions, Kid Pan Alley, Three Good Reasons, John McCutcheon, Holly Near, Si Kahn, Beth Nielsen Chapman)
• Pete Vigour - Dulcimer, Banjo, Pennywhistle, Vox (Albemarie Ramblers, Hubie King, Diane Jones, Erynn Marshall)
• Paul Yeaton - Dulcetta, Mandolin
• Sandy Davis - Spoons, Concertina, Bones (Roaring Jelly, Common Ground quintet, Dudley Laufman, Canterbury Country Dance Orch, Berlin County Dance Orch., Oh CONTRAire, Tony Saletan, Jay Unger, Jerry Robichaud)
• Sarah Gregory - Bass, Recorder (Flying Shoes, All Comers Band
• Lydia Mills - Fiddle (Arlington Street Women's Caucus)
• Bill "Smitty" Smith - Banjo
• Rosie III - dulcimer on cover

Unknown-ness: I honestly don't know if this is a band or an album of random songs just played on a Trapezoid/dulcimer, or just some completion with cool cover art and font...because it is a VERY cool cover and font. Seeing the pics on the back & reading the notes, I imaging it is all instrumentals, of old time folk played on old time instruments, the dulcimer spotlighted. It looks like the "finger harp" we used to strum & play in elementary school music class. reading more of the back, the band makes their own instruments, including these dulcimers, so this might be pretty cool.

Album Review: Well, the description was not wrong, the instrument makers definitely have a knack for old tyme folk music going back to the Renaissance period. The range of their designed hammered dulcimers is quite good, as they themselves forged bass & piccolo dulcimers to fit the range of music in a full band. 

Paul Reisler has been the one constant musician, with Sam Rizzetta perhaps being prolific / famous in his own right; still making instruments and recording albums (2020). Reisler has seen the band through many personnel changes, and played as Trapezoid for 25 years through 1995, reuniting in 2004 with their 1984 line-up. This is their first album. I read a little more and it seems Sarah Gregory and Bill Smith got married, and were together up to her passing in 2020.

Stand Out Track: Chorus Jig

Links:
Full Album on Spotify w/ Bonus Tracks
Wiki
Discogs
Allmusic
Rate Your Music
1995 Washington Post
Sam Rizzetta
Paul Reisler
Maine Fiddle Camp: Sandy Davis
Sarah Gregory obit 2020

3 Mustaphas 3 - Shopping

Name: 3 Mustaphas 3
Album: Shopping
Year: 1988
Style: World Music, Middle Eastern, Caribbean/Island, Russian, Polka
Similar Bands: Harry Belafonte, Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, Zap Mama, Immigrant Suns, Gipsy Kings, Residents
"One-Word" Review: Upbeat Mos Eisley Fusion
Based Out Of: London, England
Label: Shanachie Records Corp., Ace Records Ltd.

Cover, Record

Back, Record

Newsletter Sign-Up Card

Shopping (1988)

1. Shouffi Rhirou (Regard the Jealosy) 6:44 (Najat Aatabou cover)
2. Selver (The Girls Name) 3:36
3. Xamenh Evtesia/Fiz'n (Lost Fortune / Lost Refrigeration) 6:31
4. Musafir (Oh Traveler)/ 5:05
5. Ljubav Kraj Izvora / Zvezdanovo (Skupovo) Kolo (I Took My Lover To The Well) 4:32
6. Valle E pogradecit (A Dance of That Religion) 5:14
7. Shika Shika (Hold, Hold) 6:20
8. A Night Off Beirut (Descriptive Suite) 6:13
9. Szegerely Farewell (Farewell, Szegerely) 1:20

Album Rating (1-10): 6.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Isfa'ani [Salah Dawsom Miller]- Djembe Bendir-Krakab, Tam-Tam, Tama, Gangoqui, Conga, Bells, Ganza, Tambourine, Pandeiro, Cuica, Darbouka, Ti Bois, Campana, Cymbals, Electro Gamelan (Polly Bolton, Paul Dunmall, Indigo Girls, Eddi Reader, Justin Adams, Saladin's Orch, James Horner, Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Vanessa Mae, Reem Kelani, Tinariwen, U-Cef, Juldeh Camara, Les Triaboliques, Sonia Slany)
• Sabab Habar [Colin Bass] - Bass, Vox, Fond Memories (Camel, Jugala Allstars, Stella Chiweshe, Clancy, RBC, Steve hillage Band, Velvet Opera, Quidam, Amarok, Eddie Quansah, Gasper-Lawal, Oumou Sangare, Jozef Skrek, Etran Finatawa)
• Hijaz [Ben Mandelson] - Cumbus, Keman, Guitar, Bouzouk, Fiddle, Banjo, Szegeruele (Stella Chiweshe, Blue Blokes 3, Les Triaboliques, Amazorblades, Billy Bragg, Lemez Duo, Magazine, Orchestre Jazira, False Beards, Mighty Cloud of Dust, Kirsty MacColl, Jah Wobble, Mathilde Santing Combo, Gasper Lawal, Shriekback, Robert Wyatt wti the Swampo Singers, Sussan Deihim, Richard Horowitz, Abana Ba Nasery, English Country Blues Band, Susheela Raman, Abdul Tee-Jay, Cechomor, Imagined Village, Oi Va Voi, Shtetl Superstars, Bob Copper, Yiddish Twish Orch )
• Niaveti 3 [Tim Fienburgh] - Vox, Flute, Bulgarian Kaval, String Writing, Tulum (The Republic)
• Kemo "Kem-Kem" [Kim Burton]- Synth, Keys, Tumbador, Conga, Accordion (Onward International, Working Week, Vic Godard, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Fairgrond Attraction, Maddy Prior, Rick Kemp, Steve Arguelles, Eddi Reader, Patron Saints of Imperfection, Billy Rain, Kirsty MacColl, Eric Matthews, Aterciopelados, Negrocan, Maryam Mursal, Chris Haigh, Ingrid Laubrock, Viramundo, Barb Jungr, Davide Mantovani, Sierra Maestra, Joglaresa, Jackson Sloan, Amira, Tracey Thorn, Dunja Knebi)
• Houzam [Nigel Watson]- Drums, Conga, Fond Memories (Stella Chiweshe, Orchestre Jazira, Element of Crime)
• Expensive [Chris Batchelor]- Trumpet, Tenor Horn (Abana Ba Nasery, Oysterband)
• Duane Mustapha - Guitar
• Uncle Patral Mustapha Bib Mustapha [Lu Edmonds] - Saz (Blue Blokes 3, Les Triaboliques, Damned, Mekons, Athletico Spizz 80, Billy Bragg, Blabbermouth, Jane Aire & the Belvederes, Pulic Image Limited, Raz3, Shriekback, CrashBaptists, The Edge, The Spizzles, Unlaunched Orchestra, Tuvan throat singers Yat-Kha, Laurie Anderson, Waterboys, Kirsty MacColl, Jon Langford, Carl Marsh, Howard Werth, Yat-Kha, Laurie Anderson)
• Lavra Tima Daviz - Vox
• Madagascar [Tarika Sammy]- Crickets (Musical group from Madagascar)
• Loquat Pathfinder Dance Club - Dancing
• Joss [Jocelyn] Pook - Viola (ABC, Massive Attack, PJ Harvey, Peter Gabriel, Communards, Regular Music, Electra Strings, Jools Holland, Mark Knopfler, Stranglers, Cranberries, This Mortal Coil, Nick Cave, Divine Comedy, Paul Weller, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Michael Nyman, Laurie Anderson, more)
• Clare Finnimore - Viola (Britten Oboe Quartet, Britten Sinfonia, Guildhall String Ensemble, Virginia Astleu, Corelli, Robert Salter, Field of Blue, Oxford U. Press House Composers, theaudience, Suggs, Boyzone, Paradise Lost, Muse, Jocelyn Pook, Cousteau, Cirque Du Soleil, Moloko, Feeder, Robin Milford, Ten tenors, Snow Patrol, Christopher Benstead, Tom Jones, Kiki Dee, White Lies, Pixie Lott, Sting, Magic Numbers, Aziza Sadikova, Kylie, Melanie C, Girls Aloud, Siobhan Lamb, Gerard Presencer, Theodore Shapiro, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Jonathan Dove, Peter Warlock, James Newton Howard, Jaga Jazzist, Marco Beltrami, Nick Urata, Charlie Wood, Kazuma Jinnouchi, John Powell, Lianne La Havas, Michael Giacchino, Mick Cave & Warren Ellis, Benjamin Britten, Woodkid, De La Martinez, Lontano)
• FEZCO - Producers
• Ian Caple - Engineer, Mixing
• Corinne Turner - Photos
• Adam Skeaping - Post Production
• DKB - Designer

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, and by the looks of the back & the story there in, these folks grew up in the Balkan nations in Eastern Europe, and draw heavy influence from local, roots music of the region...mixed in with influences from whatever was passing by or stopped in from the newly paved motorway. So my guess is Klezmer music with Russian sounding baseline with pop and folk affects fused in.

Album Review: Although the music is all over the place, style-wise;  Middle Eastern to Caribbean to Polka, the underlying grooves make the album fully cohesive. They are a British band, and I even get a Welsh vibe to a couple songs ("Musafir" perhaps because I am a big fan of Gorky's Zygotic Mynci). The vocals are passionate and sometimes quite silly, but they are having a great time all the while, and it translates in their music, perhaps summarized in their punny musical catch phrase "take it to the fridge" and adopted motto "forward in all directions!"

Although their Balkan roots from a town called Szegerely with adopted Mustaphas names and being smuggled into England in refrigerators was a humorous ruse, it was a good story to set the stage for their eccentric and unique (there was no World Music genre) brand of blended musical styles. They lasted about 9 years, from 1982 - 1991, with revivals in 97 & 01. They recorded seven times with John Peel, and found themselves playing at a variety of festivals and venues, almost every time, requiring a fridge full of fruit on stage to "take 'it' to." In complement to this, they requested the audience to bring mysterious cheeses to their shows for the band to identify.

Stand Out Track: Shouffi Rhirou (spelled Choufi Ghirou on later versions)

Links:
Spotify Full Album
Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic

John Peel Wiki
John Peel Archive

IMDB
LA Times 1991
Rate your Music

Rare Air - Hard to Beat

Name: Rare Air
Album: Hard to Beat
Year: 1987
Style: Celtic Bagpipe Instrumentals, Smooth Jazz
Similar Bands: Cheiftans, Enya, Celtic Thunder, 
"One-Word" Review: Windswept Irish Countryside
Based Out Of: Toronto, Canada
Label: Green Linnet Records

Cover, Liner Notes, Record

Back, Liner Notes, Record

Hard to Beat (1987)

1. Tribal Rites 2:24
2. Taxi Suite 6:10
3. Inside Out 7:08
4. Small as Life 5:36 /
5. Marvin's March (For Marvin Gaye) 2:42
6. The Waiting Room 5:38
7. Dee Dee Diddley Bop 4:23
8. Onward Blindly Onward 4:03
9. Beam Me up 4:05

Album Rating (1-10): 4.0

Members & Other Bands:

• Dave Hillier - Recording, Mixing, Producer, Drum Program
• Ellison Robertson - Cover Painting
• Michael Foster - Cover Photos
• Karl Martens - Cover Design & Layout
• George Balderose - Artistic Manager
• Pat O'Gorman - Highland Bagpipes, 'D' Flute, Biniou-koz, 'Eb' Flute, Bagpipes (City of Toronto Pipe Band, Na Cabarfeidh, Chalk Circle, Mychael Danna, Casadh An Tsugain, Howard Baer, )
• Grier Coppins - Synth, Highland Bagpipes, Bombarde, Whistle, Bagpipes (City of Toronto Pipe Band, Na Cabarfeidh, Bernie Martin, Muchael Danna, Jaron Freeman-Fox, Al Tuck)
• Dick Murai - Guitar, Bass, Drum Program, Bells, Vega Tenor Lute (Na Cabarfeidh)
• Trevor Ferrier - Roto Toms, Brass Drum, Percussion, Clay Drums, Bells, Shakere, Snare Drums, Tabla, Long Drums (City of Toronto Pipe Band, Na Cabarfeidh, Jane Siberry, Pat Kilbride, Kalimba Kalimba, David Essig, Njacko Backo)
• 'Truck Croteau - Bouzouki
• Tom Coyne - Mastering

Unknown-ness: Never heard of this band, but the packaging is odd, as you flip the record over, not from right to left to correctly view the back. From the cover art work, and the ransom letter font on the side A Front, and the multicultural + bagpipe cover on the back, i want to believe this is some interesting indie punk, but i believe it will be more college radio, jangley rock, based on the year. 

Album Review: This is straight up instrumental, bagpipe heavy jazzy soundscapes. There is a little Asian influence and some middle eastern theme in the music too, so it does not always just carry a Celtic feel. On this record Marvin's March & Dee Dee... are both homages to African American culture. Most of the songs feel like jigs and ceremonial songs. The instrumentation is mostly performed on old world devices. They continued to divert to alternate directions, and after this album and the departure of two members, they headed into the direction of Jazz Fusion.

Stand Out Track: Onward Blindly Onward

Links:

Spotify full album
Wiki

Discogs

Allmusic

compass records

amoeba music

Chicago Tribune 1990 article

New York Rock and Roll Ensemble (Manos Hadjidakis) - Reflections

Name: New York Rock and Roll Ensemble (Manos Hadjidakis)
Album: Reflections
Year: 1970
Style: Folk, Baroque, Chamber Music, World Music
Similar Bands: Theodore Bikel, Kaveret,
One Word Review: Folksy-Classical Pop
Based Out Of: NYC, NY
Label: Atlantic Recording Corp. ATCO

 Cover & Record

Back & Record

Reflections (1970)

1. Orpheus 2:31
2. The Day 3:40
3. Love Her 4:17
4. Dance of the Dogs 2:58
5. Kemal 4:01 /
6. Dedication 2:47
7. The Three Answers 3:48
8. Street Song 3:26
9. Bitter Way 4:15
10. Noble Dame 3:11

Album Rating: 4.5

Members & Other Bands:

• Dorian Rudnytsky - Vox, Bass, Cello (Invicta)
• Brian Corrigan - Vox, Guitar (Invicta)
• Clifton Nivison - Vox, Guitar (Invicta)
• Mike Kamen - Vox, Keys , Oboe (Emil & the Detectives, Bowie, Metallica, Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd...many more big names)
• Martin Fulterman - Drums, Oboe (Emil & the Detectives, X-Files Theme)
• Manos Hadjidakis - Composer, Producer
• Adrian Barber - Recording Engineer, Producer
• Chuck Davidson - Cover Photo
• Alyse Kaylan - Album Design
• Bruce Tergesen - Producer

Unknown-ness: I never heard of this band, and have no idea what to expect. Will it be chamber style ensemble music? It says Rock & Roll, but what is their definition of that style? The cover art & photo location makes them look like a wedding band playing classical music in full rock band uniforms, but that begs the question, what could that sound like?

Album Review: This 5 man band has taken composer Manos Hadjidakis (never heard of him either), and put lyrics over 8/10 of his songs, which was to become a film score (was never made). Some sound like Israeli traditional scores, some are just folky, and some are classical music with male vocal choirs over top. Kemal sounds like a klezmer version of Nightmare Before Christmas b-sides.

Stand out Track: Kemal

Links:
Wiki
Discogs
Allmusic
Rate Your Music
Rockasteria
Darius

Badawi - The Heretic of Ether

Band: Badawi
Album: The Heretic of Ether
Year: 1999
Style: Ambient, Middle Eastern, Illbient
Similar Bands: John Zorn, Secret Cheifs 3
"One Word" Review: Environmental-Gypsy-Soundtrack
Based Out Of: Jerusalem / NYC
Label: Asphodel

The Heretic of Ether - Cover & Record

The Heretic of Ether - Back & Record

The Heretic of Ether (1999)

1. Intro 1:17
2. Tired Soldiers 5:44
3. A Voice from Six Corners 2:49
4. Santur 1:16
5. Enter the Heretic 3:58
6. Fatal Confrontation "The Death of Gashka Gavor" 1:29
7. Enterance 3:23
8. Arrival 5:57/
9. Fatal Confrontation "Gashka Meets the Gate Keeper" 1:34
10. Welcoming 5:23
11. Falling 3:11
12. Fatal Confrontation "Revisited" 2:10
13. Return of the Heretic 6:11
14. Awakening 4:45

Album Rating (1-10): 5.0

Members & Other Bands:

Erik Berglund - Composer
Hank Deckon - Composer
Ralph Farris - Violin (Ethel)
Raz Mesinai - Arranger, Keyboards, Percussion, Producer (Sub Dub)
Ashton Worthington - Design
Erich Schoen-Rene - Cello
Mixture 151 - Mastering

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of Badawi. From the name alone, I’m imagining that this is going to be some sort of Hardcore. And with the name like Heretic of Ether along with the scratch font and the b/w photography, I am further convinced that this will be hard core / metal.

Album Review: So I’ve researched and read upon this artist, and understand that this is nothing like Hard Core. It is instrumental Middle Eastern and Yiddish themed world music with a very ambient production, as it was recorded live in studio minus turntables or samples, according to Allmusic. Along with the artist’s background in dub step and reggae DJ, it should be an interesting listen. And since it is a themed concept album, I’m going to review it minus the tracks, pointing out highlights and notable sections.

Humming and what sound to be bagpipes start out the album. The composition is already a very atmospheric humming, like flying around clouds at a 15 frames per second scene. The repetition and grueling progress of the Middle Eastern instrumentation weaves an overworked web: “Tired Soldiers” works well as the title. The hum and intensity grow and show no end in sight. A deep cello finishes out to be followed by a buzzing bee sound. Beautiful and exotic Arabian picking echoing with a natural imperfect warbling follows, which is transplanted with calculated yet frantic piano playing on the next track. Rapid driving percussion begins and subsides leaving room for electronic, static bass and more Middle Eastern melodies, reminding me of something I could expect from Mike Patton (as I have a very small frame of potential comparison for this musical genre). Rapid and rolling tribal steel drum percussion makes up the next track. What feels like a reprise of the album’s buzzy beginning takes the record in a gyrating, and pressure building direction, like tension before an explosion. Sad violins take over, but the background hum/buzzing still remains. This has created the mental image of finding a rotting corpse of a loved one lying next to an open street gutter down a disused back alley in a foreign village.

Bongos of different percussive sounds rapidly beat to begin side two in a swirling rhythm that feels it may teeter over at any second. When it ends, deep warbling strings are played. There is a fine line here between Middle Eastern stand up bass and Mexican sixth string guitar play, and I can’t figure out which it sounds more like at various points, but either way it is a very percussive dance. I’ve never thought that Mexican and Arabic music could be similar or indistinguishable until now. Out of nowhere is a beautiful and magical tubular or xylophonic bell. This ends quickly, and is followed by a growing feedback of a violin string sound. In other words, more of the building buzzing sound. The final “Fatal Confrontation” succeeds, and as all the predecessors, it is all a rapid percussive dance. Following the dance is a gloomy castlevania-esq gothic string section, which, when added to with a steady, repetitive heavy bass beat and bongo percussion, takes a turn toward gypsy style. As this song nears the end, there is some sort of keyboard instrumentation that demands an anger and urgency, which stops abruptly and allows the record to finish in a sad story told by a violin.

"Stand-Out" Track: Enter the Heretic

Links:

Raz Mesinai

The Agriculture
Last FM
FB
Asphodel
Wiki
allmusic

Dissidenten - Life at the Pyramids

Name: Dissidenten
Album: Life at the Pyramids
Year: 1986
Style: World, Prog
Similar Bands: Firewater, some XTC, some Talking Heads, (very uneducated in World Music)
"One-Word" Review: India-African-Disco-Pop-Prog
Based Out Of: Berlin, Germany
Label: Shanachie, Exil Musik

Life At The Pyramids - Cover & Record
Life At The Pyramids - Back & Record

Life At The Pyrmaids (1986)

1. Sultan Swing 5:56
2. Mata Hari 5:48
3. Telephone Arab 6:05
4. Blue Nile 2:00/
5. At The Pyramids 4:38
6. Berlin Beduins 4:20
7. Roots of Tanger 3:20
8. Do the Pharaoo 6:10
9. Song for Winnie Mandela 2:30

Album Rating (1-10): 5.5

Members & Other Bands:

Marlon Klein - Drums, Perc, Keyboards, Vox (Gary Wright)

Uve Mullrich - Bass, Oud, Guitar, Vox

Friedo Josch - Wind Instruments, Keyboards
Sheik Abdul Al Rashid - Recording
Marlon Klein - Engineering, Producer
Gunni Heidler - Recording
Stella Chiweshe - Recording, Vox, Mbira
Arno Declair - Photos
Ernst Wirz - Photos, Visual Dissidenten
Hartmut Bremer - Cover
Dan Behrman - US/Canada Booking
El Houssaine Kili - Guitar, Vox, Lyric & Musical Background Info
Hamid Barudi - Vox
Rabii Youmni - Vox
Cherif M Lamrani - Vox, Mandolincello, Lyric & Musical Background Info (Lem Chaheb)
Richie Arndt - Guitar
Charlie Genwo - Fluegelhorn
Roman Bunka - Guitar, Oud
Mohammed "Zain" Adnani - Nay, Vox
Abdelkader Zefzaf - Gimbri, Vox
Roland Spremberg - Keys, Computer Programming
Ernst Walder - Visual Dissidenten
Daniel (Apropos) - Visual Dissidenten
Lilo Nido - Visual Dissidenten
Nadine Fachard - Ethnological Advice

Unknown-ness: I’ve never heard of these guys. But from the name (along with lots of dental work I’ve had recently) “Denten” sounds like it is related to teeth. And from the high energy on the cover and the group photo on the back, I am under the impression that they will be like Adam Ant or Midnight Oil or some new wave, tribal/roots based band. However, most of their songs have a middle eastern theme to them, so I really don’t know what to expect, except that I picked this up because I like the look of the album and there name has a lot of energy in it too.

Album Review: Reading about these Germans, they moved around Europe and Middle East; even to parts of Africa to incorporate the culture, tribal and national sounds to create a conglomerate sound of world music before world beat was created. They have been sited as the grandfathers of the genre. I do not know much, if anything about world music, so this will be a review taken from the background of minimal jazz and prog rock jamming. Please forgive my naivety and probably unintelligence in this review when it comes to musical descriptions.

“Sultan Swing” starts off with a slow fade up into an Arabian sounding flute, tribal drums, and a general hum in the background. The drum beat picks up a ceremonial dance beat, and Middle Eastern (M.E.) style music commences. Vocals and chanting are laid over top in melodic parallel to the music. The little bit of music I listen to that has a similar to this is Firewater’s most recent album, Golden Hour, and some of XTC’s late 80’s music (think “Terrorism”) sound very similar. I’m even to naïve about the music to try and explain what instruments are being utilized. There are two or three distinct sounds that ride each other like musical waves up and down the melodies.
“Mata Hari” starts with a more forceful, driving drum beat and M.E. music continues, this time, accented with guitars which sound very progressive, in the realms of video game music. After the electric guitar solo, the musical genre is transformed into a Caribbean / Island music theme, featuring a rhythm guitar instead and a Talking Heads like vocal style. But when the guitar changes, the singing does too, fitting more into an Indian style than Caribbean.
“Telephone Arab” begins like a night club Arabian dance, with a catchy M.E. hook repeating and layered over a simple staggered electro/techno drum & bass beat. The vocals too, feature the accentuated syllables synonymous with M.E. music. It does go on for a bit, without much variation, but the synth music that accompanies the M.E. music is a little bombastic, like jilting disco.
“Blue Nile” is a dark, swirling building section of a song, like the calm before the sand storm you can see tornado-ing around at the distance horizon. The vocals sound like they are mixed backwards, skipping as they are played in reverse. There is an echoing on the woodwind instruments that almost sounds like bees buzzing around.

“At The Pyramids” begins with a quiet peaceful hum, and what I imagine to be a sitar picked, with its unique, buzz-rattling sound. After a minute 45 sing chanting begins like waking up, and rising as the sun follows your movements into the sky. It is a slow moving song, eyes uncrusting into awakeness. The hum also ends the track
“Berlin Beduins” feels like another video game with a synth mandolin introduction. The song is dark, and again sung with the stereotypical M.E. style of extended syllables and vibrated pitch changes. An electric guitar gives some solo licks, uncharacteristically metal, over the continuing music backdrop.
“Roots of Tanger” has an unsettled, rumbling beginning of randomly plucked deep bass sounding notes and bongo/tribal drum rhythms. This song is more African in its sounding that M.E. but it is not without mentioning that some of the vocals do rely on M.E. style. As the music finds its repetitive rhythm, the vocals take turns going in and out of chanting and into effects and speaking.
“Do the Pharaoo” starts out with a complicated drum rhythm, and the vocals croon over top, gently touching on the notes that are suggested by the rhythm. In the second verse, a rhythm guitar is added to the mix. The chorus, which is the majority of the song, is pretty catchy, and feels like a video game musical loop. The drums and rhythm guitar carry the melody and give a base of where the improved instrumentation can shoot from. And there is a lot of musical jamming in the second half of the song. The verse is remixed and shifter around to be different, but equally as catchy, it is just a bit too repetitive.
“Song for Winnie Mandela” ends the album with a delicate bell/xylophone mix, with an uplifting pleasant bass line (a little like XTC’s “Battery Brides” or Spoon’s “Anything You Want”). The vocals are African tribal in their meter, and the song feels a little like a Paul Simon song. A flute dances around in the background for extra texture, and ads a great deal to the track as it fades out for the finish.

Stand Out Track: Song For Winnie Mandella

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