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Ambient 3 : Day of Radiance
LARAAJI
Produit par Brian ENO
Instruments : Treated & amplified zither; hammered dulcimer
This album is the third edition of Eno’s Ambient series, which began in 1978 with Music for Airports, and was followed by The Plateaux of Mirror. The series ended with On Land.
Compared to the rest of the series, Day of Radiance features very little in the way of electronics. Laraaji uses a variety of acoustic stringed instruments such as a hammered dulcimer and 36-stringed open-tuned zither.
The first three tracks are variations on a theme named "The Dance", and are delivered in a fast, hypnotic, Gamelan-like, rhythmic pace on a hammered dulcimer. Eno's input is not only in the role of producer; he also adds many creative touches to the natural instrument-sounds. In particular, he "layers" the tracks, after which he applies phasing, reverberation/delay effects and graphic EQ to the point at which the dulcimer almost sounds like other instruments.
These processes are particularly noticeable on the last of the "Dance" pieces. The simple practice of slowing the tape down creates resonances that are deep, and distorted in places.
The final two tracks ("Meditation 1 & 2") are different; more in keeping with the "ambient" style featured on the rest of the series. These are slow, meandering beatless compositions performed on the zither, with the dulcimer adding the odd highlight. Eno's tactic in these two pieces is mainly to electronically highlight the zither's naturally long decay-rate, creating a highly ethereal sound.
Contenu du CD :
1. ”The Dance #1” – 9:06
2. ”The Dance #2” – 9:39
3. ”The Dance #3” – 3:15
4. ”Meditation #1” – 18:42
5. ”Meditation #2” – 7:50
LARAAJI (Edward Larry Gordon)
Laraaji is an American musician. Born Edward Larry Gordon in 1943 in Philadelphia, he studied violin, piano, trombone and voice in his early years in New Jersey. He attended Howard University, a historically black university in Washington, D.C. on a scholarship to study composition and piano. After studying at Howard, he spent time in New York pursuing a career as a stand-up comedian and actor.
In the early seventies he began to study Eastern mysticism and believed he'd found a new path for his music and his life. It was also at this time he bought his first zither from a local pawn shop. Converting it to an electronic instrument, he began to experiment using the instrument like a piano. By 1978, he developed enough skill to begin busking in the parks and on the sidewalks of New York.
The following year he was "discovered" by Brian Eno while playing in Washington Square Park. The result was his most widely-recognized release, Ambient 3: Day of Radiance, the third installment of Brian Eno's Ambient series. This was his first album released under the name of Laraaji.
This international exposure led to many requests for longer versions of his compositions which he supplied to many meditation groups on cassette tapes. It also resulted in an expansion of his mystic studies with such gurus as Swami Satchidananda and Shri Brahmananda Sarasvati, founder of the Ananda Ashram in Monroe, New York.
Another product of Laraaji's increasing enlightenment was the creation of the Laughter Meditation Workshops which he still presents around the globe. Laraaji's releases include:
Source : wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laraaji
SHIVA SHAKTI GROOVE
1. Shiva Bhuti (22.53)
2. Shakti Flow (4.53)
3. Shivaya Namah Ho (22.14)
4. Shiva Shakti (23.07)
Only four compositions grace this CD and the second track has a running time of four and a half minutes. The shortest track is instrumental, with chimes / bells and synthesizers. The 3 longer pieces are all structurally similar, with beats and hand drums providing a groove with added layers of zither, chimes, vocal chanting and laughter. The way in which the various sonic elements build up and loop, while subtly changing over the course of the track is reminiscent of work by the late Nusrat Fateh Ali-Khan. Each track is engaging and trance like whilst being emotionally uplifting.
Laraaji is a very prolific writer and performer, having released over 25 albums either as a solo artist or in joint ventures during the last 20 odd years. Combining the dual skills of musicianship and meditator allows him to express himself in a way that few other composers do and his abilities are proudly on display. Building solo layers of zither and durembeka (a Turkish hand drum) the opening piece Shiva Bhuti provides space for muted voice and the ambiences to give an improvisational feel to a complicated track. The most accessible part of this CD is the aforementioned short track Shakti Flow, where yet more ambient textures are piled into making a very full recording. Chimes are used in abundance, but not in any repetitive way on the penultimate Shivaya Namah Ho. Here the human chants alternate between the left and right to make the soundtrack complete when the beat is brought into focus. (Cavalier)
Source : http://www.ambientmusic.co.uk/ambient_reviews.html
Site officiel : http://www.dwij.org/rising_stars/laraaji.html
http://music.hyperreal.org/artists/brian_eno/interviews/laraajiarcticle.htm
Téléchargements : http://downloadmusiconline.adscarsforsale.com/blog/2007/12/16/laraaji-the-d…
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Le CD "Day of radiance" est à la fois joyeux et très hypnotique, les timbres sont superbes (bonne prise de son). On comprend pourquoi Brian Eno a apprécié. Les deux derniers titres sont très différents, méditatifs, semblant provenir d'une rêverie lointaine. |
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