Saturday 7 May 2016

The Dub Trees 'Celtic Vedic' Review





Artist: Dub Trees



Title: Celtic Vedic



Label: Liquid Sound Design



Released: 10th June










The Dub Tree's are a collective of dub producers and musicians with Youth at the helm and this latest release draws on Celtic and Hindu fusions featuring a host of collaborators such as Jah Wobble (P.I.L./Jah Wobble and the Invaders of the Heart), Matt Black (Coldcut), Micheal Wadada (Suns of Arqa) and Shridevi Keshavan (Gods Robots).


The album commences with the Distant Green Shore Dub of 'Return to the River Ganges' and LSD fans will remember the Ozora mix was featured on their compilation 'Dakini Mother Tongue' last year. This take is a lighter version with more emphasis on the bansuri flute, pipes and harp. Around halfway through the Tablas come to life and everything comes together to great effect. The Ambrosirius Dub of 'Mediolana' begins in a haunting beautiful fashion before the drums kick in admist tribal chants and sampled monologue are introduced alongside Carnatic vocals. While the Fiery Pharaoh Mix of 'Indika Keltika' is a knees up fusion of Celtic fiddle that springs off the bansuri flutes, harmonium and dub fx.


The Pagan Dub of 'Voyage of Pytheas' places the emphasis on the vocals of folk singer Lisa Knapp (imagine Delirium in Dub). The Demnoriax King of the Lower World Dub of 'King of the Fairies' is another fiddle fuelled Irish Jig this time fused with more of a bubbling dub. The album draws to a close with Aeduan Odyessy Mix of Deer Hunter which has more of a house sound than dub reggae complimenting the Celtic/Hindu thread of the release.


To summarise I think this is a bit of a marmite album as apart from the last track and the two fiddle numbers the pieces (including the ones I haven't mentioned) are very similar. That said, if it grabs you then you're not going to stray into territories that don't appeal and the standard of musicianship and production with those on board speaks for itself.


Reviewed by Woodzee.


Links





Friday 6 May 2016

Siama Matuzungidi 'Rivers' Review





Artist: Siama Matuzungidi



Title: Rivers



Label: Unknown



Released: 10th June








I receive hundreds of promo submissions every day that covers all kinds of music (occasionally strange choices considering the title of the blog) the majority however, are world music and I simply don't have the time to dig out all the gems and tend to stick with the artists and labels I know. However, after hearing a Titeknots to a re-mix of Dele Sosimi's 'Sanctuary' courtesy of Andy Hickford's set for the Quality Music Lovers Show on Boxfrequency.fm it set me in a summery mood for some African vibes so I opened this e-mail and had a listen. I often play world music fusions in my own sets however, it doesn't always have to be about dub versions or re-mixes sometimes it's good just to hear the original sounds.


In a sense this release is a fusion of it's own but organic rather than electronic. Siama Matuzungidi left home at 17, his guitar strapped to his back. Music has since carried him from his home in the rural Congo across Africa becoming an accomplished and respected guitarist known as the Soukous Legend. Having relocated to Minnesota has pooled together a group of musicians from around the world who currently re-side in the city to work on this album for a fresh take on these Soukous pieces. This collaboration retains not only his guitar work but the vocal aspect and summery feel good factor of his native music but adds subtle dimensions such as soft and melodic jazzy piano, Carnatic Indian vocals, classical cello and more.


The album commences with 'Jungle Zombie' where a horn intro leads us to the guitar and vocals before a lovely piano breakdown leads us back to the horns. 'Maisha Mazuri' begins in a Carnatic style and adds some excellent guitar work with an almost sitar like feel. While 'Mombasa' on the other hand retains more of an upbeat and happy vibe that brings the vocals to the forefront. The kind of vibe you get (for want of a better example) with Peter Gabriel & Youssou N'dour's 'Shaking the Tree'.


Overall for me it's not club music as such just good clean, happy music that's great for relaxing in the garden in the summer with a cool drink. While those of you in the vicinity of Minneapolis in the U.S.A. can catch the experience live on May the 31st at the Cedar Cultural Centre.


Reviewed by Woodzee.



Sunday 1 May 2016

The Dream Eaters present Terra Nine vs Sirius Music





An evening of music and light featuring live acts, dj's and vj's. Covering an eclectic range spanning dub reggae, global grooves, house, techno, trance and joining the dots in between.


Terra Nine vs Sirius Music featuring VJ Intelliki
(Altar Records - Voted label of the year 2015 on http://www.psybient.org/)


Terra Nine is the electronic brainchild of Michael Westcot - Hardly your typical digital artist. A classically trained violinist, he produces a truly unique synergy of lush organic strings, mind bending psychedelic sounds and a fat bottom end full of twisted beats and dubbed out basslines... Running the gamut of trance, dub and psychedelic breaks... To experience is to understand... Terra Nine moves the heart and soul as well as the feet. 



Sirius Music is a new progressive trance project from Michael Westcot aka Terra Nine, marking a new musical odyssey into powerful yet simple grace and rhythm.. Powerful beats to move the heart as well as the body - incorporating real instrumentation combined with hypnotic digital soundscapes and moving imagery to excite and inspire. Sirius Music features Michael Westcot - on viola, keyboards, computer and other audio devices and Intelliki - providing extraordinary visuals.



INTELLIKI is a New Zealand based veejay, utilising inspiring images to accompany the music of the psychedelic chill / alternative act, TERRA NINE and the progressive trance act, SIRIUS MUSIC. She has been experimenting with visual design for the past decade. Her inspiration comes from earth, nature, futuristic landscapes and psychedelia.


INTELLIKI incorporates 3D animation with natural photographic
elements, time-lapse photography and occasional live video feeds, along with a massive selection of FX generators and video loops. She uses Modul8, Photoshop and a number of movie programmes to create her visionary art.



INTELLIKI has accompanied Terra Nine and Sirius Music on his numerous world tours over the past five years, performing live at festivals such as Rainbow Serpent (AUS), Subsonic (AUS), Waveform (UK), Glade Festival (UK), Sunrise (UK), Bakony Festival (HU), Misterika Festival (Ukraine), Trance Adventures (Slovenia), Samsara (Hungary), Ambiosonic (France) and Dimension NYE (NZ).



VJ Intelliki at Dimension NYE Event 2015 from VJ Intelliki on Vimeo.

Beyond Within (Sun Dept. Records)


Beyond Within is prim
e time butt shaking bass lines, crisp driving drums and big grinning head spinning psychedelic textures & grooves blasting out of Milton Keynes. Recently setting the dancefloor alight with shows at Sunrise (Leeds) and Sun Dept (Hamburg) 


Mosienko Project (Earth City Recordz)


Northampton based Mosienko Project showcases the multi-ethnic influences and genre-fusing of two dynamic and diverse producers: Gary Johnson-White and Barry Burford. Musicians, DJ's, Remixers and Producers; Mosienko Project embraces sounds from around the world, collaborating with many top vocalists and musicians: fusing influences from Roots, Eastern, Breakbeat, Chillout, Chillstep and Downtempo.


With DJ support from


Paul Neaves
Jamez23
Matthew Foord


Lighting by Optikal Intrusion


£6 entry advanced tickets go on sale May the 1st
http://skiddle.com/e/12709427
£6 before 10pm on the door £8 after





  • Friday the 24 June at 20:00–3:00 Phoenix Bar, 94 Lower Bridge Street, Northampton. NN1 1PD