Inside...Musical Starstreams

Vol. 2: Release - Afro-Cell Sound System.

New from the acclaimed Amsterdam based Twilight Circus Dub Sound System is "Horsie" - a hot set of 10 groundbreaking tracks exploring new directions in dub, postrock, and electronica. Dub is the "original remix", a revolutionary and influential style of mixing invented in the 70's in Jamaica by noted producers King Tubby & Lee "Scratch" Perry, in which the recording studio engineer literally "plays" the studio and recorded parts on the master tapes - actively using the mixing desk controls & studio apparatus as an instrument, while manipulating sounds, adding echoes & reverb effects, dropping instrumental & vocal tracks in and out, to create a totally new song out of an existing piece of recorded music. The techniques, ideas, and sounds of dub mixing have heavily influenced modern record production styles in almost all forms of popular music, as well as creating a new sub-genre all its own, like the Various artists release "Earthjuice". Since its inception in 1995, the Twilight Circus Dub Sound System has become known as one of the most innovative & original dub outfits in the world. Twilight Circus Dub Sound System ringmaster, multi-instrumentalist & engineer/producer Ryan Moore is currently a member of underground legends The Legendary Pink Dots." Horsie" is theirlatest (of 5 releases) and includes deep dub bass, ambient effects and drop-outs, and a hypnotic and compelling sound that moves right through your bloodstream.

At last: Volume 2 from the amazing Afro-Celt Sound System is here, and true to its name, it's another carefully crafted modern/rhythmic stew that moves along at an often frenetic pace, perhaps trying to keep up with the ambitious combining of the modern sounds of two musical cultures that are bridged in unique ways. The Afro-Celt Sound System, which really delivers live on stage, has grown to include seven core members, notably James McNally (keyboards and production) and Iarla O Lionaird (vocalist), as well as Martin Russell (keyboards, programming, engineering), Simon Emmerson (guitars, keyboards, programming), Myrdhin (Celtic harp), N'Faly Kouyate (vocals, kora, balafon) and Moussa Sissokho (talking drum, djembe.) The opening / title track features the vocals of Sinead O'Connor, while the other ten tracks range from patient and pensive to ballad-like, and from drum-driven rhythm jams to emotional strains right out of Celtic lore. Much of this release is pedal-to-the-metal world music. mixed at high-intensity for maximum overdrive, yet it is cleverly balanced enough to keep the listener engaged.

England's Steven Cragg also returns with his second release, "EnTrance," a suitably trancey world music title with didgeridoo at its core, yet expanded into a hypnotic blend of hip-hop styles, African lore, Haitian voodoo, North Indian chant and other ethnic ambiences. Previous work with Phil Thornton (on "Initiation" and "Tibetan Horn") first brought his unusual style to our attention; his solo debut "Discovery" had a similar attraction as Steven Kent's or Adam Plack's titles (such as "Nomad") or James Asher's "Feet in the Soil," yet with a more gritty feel. On "EnTrance," Cragg combines didgeridoo, Tibetan horn, crystal bowls, talking drum, rainmaker, temple and finger bells, gongs, percussion, chimes, keyboards, ambient sounds, programming and digital treatments for a collage of musical dance patterns that include jungle and house beats as well. If you've enjoyed the music of Material/Bill Laswell, Ekstasis, or the above-mentioned artists, "EnTrance" should be the ideal ticket. Cragg's percolating waveforms and liquid-toned synth cycles can easily serve as potent consciousness-altering tools.