Sibirskaya Vechora is a 10 member folk ensemble consisting of students and alumni of the Krasnoyarsk College of Arts and the Krasnoyarsk Academy of Music and Theatre. They play the traditional music of Siberia and Russia. The CD titled Muziki, Viryazukhi Moi featured 13 tracks of music recording on tour by this fascinating ensemble. It is an excellent collection of Russian traditional music.
Jani Hirvonen is one of the most active musicians in the Finnish underground scene. He records under a number of projects including the past featured Paavoharyu. Recently he has been recording most prolifically under the moniker of Uton through his netlabel titled Om Ha Sva Ha Ksha Ma La Va Ra Yam.
The music of Uton can be called many things but often the name of Psych-Folk is used. It is a mix of avant-garde styling and ethnic folk music influences. The seven albums available from the Uton page of The Free Music Archive are challenging but ultimately fascinating. They are all a little unique. Holy Burnmay be the best introduction to this artist. Radio Olio Metaphysica! is the equivalent of two CDs with sounds ranging from drone ambient to space sounds to ethnic dada. Shiva Blues is described as “Free-drone-trance-noise guitar feedback improv”. I can hear traces of Glenn Branca throughout this festival of drones and reverb. Solar Spells is called “Psych-zone-noise” and is one of the more abstract of the albums. It is very spacy and sounds like world music from the edge of the universe.
Taivaan Joka Kolossa was Uton’s first release and is best described as experimental drone ambient. Tales From the Ancient Fires is comprised of two live performances from Copenhagen and Berlin in 2008. They tend to be more extrovert and industrial reminiscent of Throbbing Gristle or Dream Syndicate. Violin Massage is the equivalent of three CDs and is the weirdest of the albums. It is solely one violin played in strange distorted ways. It is interesting but too much of a strange thing can give you a headache.
Regardless, there is a lot of music and a lot of variety in these seven free and legal albums. check them out.
Download
Holy Burn
Radio Olio Metaphysica!
Shiva Blues
Solar Spells
Taivaan Joka Kolossa
Tales From the Ancient Fire
Violin Massage
Field Recordings From India & Nepal is exactly that; an album of on-location sounds recorded by Finnish musician Jani Hirvonan . The almost 2 hour album has a variety of field recordings ranging from street music to temple bells to nature sounds. These tracks include both the exotic and the mundane in a way that makes them immensely listenable. Originally released on a small label in 2007, the album is now available through a creative commons license at the Free Music Archive through the link below.
Andreia Dacal is a Brazilian vocalist and songwriter who uses influences from reggae, dub, rap and Brazilian music to create her Latin-soul dub-based music. Her second album is released on a creative commons license through the Fresh Poulp netlabel. She uses eight different producers, mostly Eastern European. The result give the tracks a varied sound but Dacal’s own creativity is still dominant in these urban songs. This is a fascinating album well worth the download.
The Free Music Archive describes Ami Dang’s album titled Hukam as World Music which begs the question, “Which world?” At first, the strains of the first tracks sound a bit alien. However, the sweet sitars merges into the electronics and Dang’s chanting voice to reveal a mix of traditional Indian music, a trace of Bollywood, and more modern influences of house techno and post-classical minimalism. Yet it retains a pop sensibility making it a form of experimental pop music. I could get very used to a world that has pop music like this. One of the highlights is a very accessible dance tune called “A Strange Community.” On the other hand, “Amorphous Matter” has a “Laurie Anderson meets Bollywood” minimalism to it. Ami Dang has created one of more intriguing pop hybrids that you will hear. Love it or hate it, this is a must-listen.
Golden Pavilion is a record label that digs up forgotten gems of rock music of the 70s and 80s and gives them a second life. The artists are predominantly in the range of progressive, psychedelic, and art rock. The records can be purchased as limited edition vinyl recordings at their web site. Golden Pavilion is also generous enough to allow these recordings to be downloaded for free as Creative Common licensed MP3s at the Free Music Archive. There are a number of great albums here that are sure to be featured on my humble blog in the future.
For the time being, here is Sr. Cisne, a showcase of Latin rock from 1982. Mario Garcia certainly has his Santana licks down cold. Yet his contribution to rock music is to combine the Latin traditions of his native country Uruguay, which clearly has its share of African roots too. This is irresistible music with singing guitar lines and heavy percussion. I especially recommend the instrumental “Por do sol Em montevideo” with its great percussion solo and the title track which is a awesome jam from start to finish. Download this, listen, and groove!
Here’s one for St. Patrick’s Day.
The Celtic group Slainte was one of the pioneers of internet music sharing. You can still get their two albums of traditional Irish music either through the Internet Archives (linked from my original post) or WFMU’s Free Music Archive. There is now an extra treat in Slainte Mohr, a bonus collection of four live performance tracks with choir plus two songs that were previously only available from MP3.com in the early days of internet music. Don’t be shy. Download it all!
I believe it is safe to say that Huun Huur Tu is the musical group that popularized throat-singing and the world music of Tuva to the general public. The live studio recording from January 22, 2011 performed at the studios of WFMU is a good example of their exotic and hypnotic music. The session was a break from their American tour and a promotion for their current album, Ancestor’s Call. The recording includes several songs and interviews with the band members. Listen to the first musical track and I am sure you will be hooked. Then go out and support the artists by buying their CDs.
Recently I’ve become fascinated with the music of Indonesian musician Wukir Suriyada. I have already featured albums of collaborative works with Rully Shabawa and Ysuke Akai. Wukir’s new solo album titled Yehezkial is again off the incredible Yes No Wave netlabel and it increases the artist’s level of awesomeness. Wukir plays an instrument of his own invention called a Bambuwukir allowing him to create string and percussion sounds simultaneously. The two tracks on Yehezkial shows his virtuosity off splendidly. The music borrows heavily from Indonesian folk roots but adds influences from post-modern classical, rock, and even Phillip Glass styled minimalism. The build-up of theme and tension keeps the listener enthralled. This is a highly recommended download.
I’ve heard my share of throat singing from traditional world music to pop covers. But I do not think I’ve heard anything like Arjopa. First, she may be the first female throat-singer I’ve heard. Second, her music is neither strictly traditional or pop. Her website calls it “Shamanic Folk Pop” yet it has elements of the traditional, psychedelic, and even punk. The four tracks on This is Arjopa are vocals with sensitive acoustic backing. Her vocals tend to alternate between straight singing and the more esoteric throat-singing, leaving the listener a bit teetering in both worlds. I believe that is the result this artist is looking for. Her songs and vocals reminds me heavily of P. J. Harvey and to a lesser extent, Marianne Faithful. I really like this album and recommend it to anyone who like a taste of the unusual mixed with the known.
This is Arjopa can be found at the Free Music Archive and is from the suRRism-Phonoethics netlabel.
Tits Patapons is a perky duo from Grenoble, France that has a free-spirited sound. The two online albums that you can find at Jamendo are catchy and lively capturing a folksy and very French sense of joy. You can smell the baked bread and the wine in these tunes. Both vocalists are quite likable and the guitar and accordion accompaniment is key to the enjoyability of the music. Premier Jet is the first of the EPs. The addition of other instrumentalists help in this debut effort. But I prefer their second album (une guitare, un accordéon et …) Deux Trois Trucs Aussi mainly because the accordion takes center stage. But either album will work as an afternoon pepper-upper for your spirits.
Download
(une guitare, un accordéon et …) Deux Trois Trucs Aussi
Premier Jet
The Mendes Brothers specializes in the music of the island nation of Cape Verde. Three of their albums, Bandera, Capo Verde, and Satelite Zamby, are freely available on Jamendo through Creative Common licensing. Each of the albums embodies various aspects of the Afro-beat styled music and also shows some Portuguese influences. Immensely danceable and exotically romantic, João and Ramiro Mendez will bring out the world music fan in you.
Download
Bandera
Capo Verde
Satelite Zamby
Pasqualino Ubaldini is a guitarist that mixes the traditional with the modern. Two af the three creative commons licensed albums available on
Jamendo do exactly that. The albums are Porta d”Oriente and Girovaghi Notturni. There is a pleasing Mediterranean feel throughout, sometimes in a traditional style yet often mixed with a modern new age and/or jazz sound. The artist also does some rather exciting mandolin playing on the album. Both albums are fascinating efforts.
Il Viandante is a different story. It is almost exclusively jazz fusion. It is a very good modern jazz effort and a little surprising after listening to the first two albums.
This is one of those albums that blurs the boundaries between traditional world music and modern rock influences. Rully Shabara is a member of the Indonesian avant-rock/punk group Zoo. Wukir Suryadi is an innovative musician that experiments within the boundaries of the traditional music of Indonesia using an musical instrument of his own creation. Some tracks like “Angin” sound very traditional while others explode with a force that I described as half-jokingly “Indonesian Death Metal” and does seem to take some of its influence from that very genre. The main excitement on this recording is how well Wukir’s instrument melds with Shabara’s vocal acrobatics to become one instrument. However you view this music , the real news is that this is one of the best and most original online albums for 2010. Senyawa comes to you from the Yes No Wave net label.
The French label Los Emes del Oso has a knack for unusual music, especially for obscure releases and field recordings from South America. This rousing collection of Latin America folklorica is a sequel to Ulqutushuy and gives us almost four hours of world music fun. Indeed some of the tracks go on for close to 30 minutes. Of those, ” Liso Maqt a” by Sangre Brava de Chumbivilcasis is a 30 minutes delight of singing children, whooping whistles and barking dogs all accompanied by harp-like string instruments. This strange gem of an anthology album is another big hurrah from the oddest little netlabel on the net.
This is one of the biggest surprises of 2010. Guitarist Ottmar Liebert, oud player Rahim Alhaj, bassist Jon Gagan and percussionist Barrett Martin team up for this beautiful album titled Under The Rose. It is ten tracks of word fusion that transports you into new realms. Liebert’s Nuevo Flamenco style is joined with Alhaj’s Iraqi traditional roots resulting in a joyous listening experience. Gagan and Martin set the rhythmic foundations expertly. The title track is the perfect introduction but every track is a gem. The album is a free download but it is presented through the auspices of The International Committee of the Red Cross. You can show your appreciation by either buying the CD, of which part of the proceeds go to the Red Cross, or by simply make a donation.
Untitled Strings is a collection of nine live tracks of free improvisation. Ysuke Akai is a guitarist from Brisbane, Australia whose playing is close to the avant-garde styling of such innovators as Derek Bailey. Wukir Suryadi is an Indonesian musician who plays the Bambuwukir, his own self-made instrument made from bamboo which serves as both a string instrument and percussion instrument. The resulting tracks are a fascinating mix of avant-garde guitar with a sound that is eerily close to gamelan music. At times the music is serious and dense but more often it has a very playful quality. This album is quite enjoyable and should please those into contemporary classical, free jazz, and world music alike.
The album is available from the Indonesian Yes No Wave netlabel or you can download from the link below at the Free Music Archive.
The full title of Wings of an Angel’s new album is Requiem For An Anonymous Genius (The Breath Of Life, Carnal Annihilation And Miraculous Resurrection Of The Job Of Art). It is a prohibitively long title for an exceptional album that blends world music, hip-hop. electronica, and new age into a full package of sound experiences guaranteed to alter your mind. The artist manages to combine jazz with middle eastern sounds in an album that celebrates both. I do not think I’ve heard anyone do this as successfully since Pharoah Sanders. While often sounding dark and atmospheric. it maintain a spiritual essence that stays with you long after the last track. This unique listening experience is bought to you by the Paralucid netlabel.
Here is another odd but amazing compilation album from the Los Emes Del Oso netlabel. This one features music from Chile and Argentina. Unlike the previously featured Ulqutushuy which collected folk music from Peru and Bolivia, Gauchito Gil contra Colocolo has a hodgepodge of different styles and sounds from tradition to progressive rock to noise to rap to just plain strange. The tracks range from a harmonic folk gem titled “No Hay Choristas” to a weird Bauhaus influenced “Wendy Carlos” by Onda Bidon. There is also some interesting street-side rap by Manueljgrotesque and a garage rock track titled “Old Man” by Kellies. The album is a grab bag of sounds which is the way I like my compilations. Again the sound is inconsistent ranging from OK to field recording passable. Yet you are not going to hear very many collections like this anywhere else.
As if we didn’t have enough innovative music coming out of Brazil, we now have manguebeat. The movement came out of Recife in Northeast Brazil in the 90s and was both a cultural and political response to the economical issues of the area. The music is a loosely organized mixture of hip-hop, Latin and folk elements, and electronic influences. Mombojo is a second generation band with two albums, free and legal due to creative common licensing, hiding over at WFMU’s Free Music Archive. Nadadenovo and Amigo Du Tempo both offer good look at this music with Amigo Du Tempo being a bit more on the mellow side. Both albums are highly recommended.
Download
Nadadenovo
Amigo Do Tempo
Children of Soul Mountain is a theatrical soundtrack for the play of the same name. The play is based on the novel Soul Mountain by Nobel Prize winner Gao Xingjian. Chan Wai Fat is the composer and he filled his score with both original compositions and traditional songs. While these are exquisite pieces, the real delight is the vocalizing of blind folk singer Po Sun-Yi. There are five vocal pieces and one instrumental. This is world music at its finest.
Los Emes Del Oso is an odd netlabel with a bunch of odd and eclectic music, much of it from various parts of South America. The compilation titled Ulqutushuy has 15 tracks of folk music from Peru and Bolivia sung in the Incan lanquage of Quechuas. The music isn’t well recorded and appears to be accumulated from old cassettes and field recordings. However those who love the authenticity of world music unfiltered by the commercial world will love these joyous songs.
The Andalusian group El Nino Del Parking is the real thing. Based in the town of Jerez de la Frontera, this is the traditional music of the area loaded with flamenco guitar, hand clapping and an exuberance for life. An essential download for the world music fans.
I do not feature many play-lists on this blog because it is difficult to know if the music is legally free either by permission of the artist or through creative common licensing. A nice thing about the play-lists on WFMU’s Free Music Archive is all the music is legally free. One of the better lists is Katya Oddio’s sampling of Eastern European traditional music titled Gypsy Caravan. Most of the music is from the 2009 Golden Festival in New York City. Other tracks are from old and rare 78rpm recordings. Of the new live performances I especially like the Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band and Zikrayat. Yet the old forgotten 78rpms are the real treasure. “Arnautka” by Steva Nikolič reeks of melancholy beauty while Kostas Gus Gadinis’s Greek foot stomper “Aebali” sounds amazingly Cajun to me. Katya has put together a rousing mix of world sounds that should not be missed.
The album titled Chi’en is 80 minutes of mystical sounds and atmospheric tones. It is melodic but drenched in world rhythms and traditional drones. It is as deep a musical journey as you would ever want to travel on. Three of the tracks are over 10 minutes with “Peeling Off” being an epic 24 minutes in duration. Most would call this a laid back post-rock, psychedelic or even shoegaze but ambient and world fusion comes to mind too. Frankly, it is pretty hard to fit in any genre. The Barcelona based Qa’a describe their efforts as “radiating music with no stylistic adherence where magic, repetition and rituals prevail above all else.” That pretty much says it…I think! Aside from the aforementioned “Peeling Off”, I find “Time is Key” to be a fascinating listen. This is an exceptional album any way you look at it.
Chi’en is available from the Magia Roja netlabel in 224kbps MP3.
