Jump to content

Gaudi ::: Bass, Sweat & Tears [Interchill - 2004]


KakoOlalaJwal

Recommended Posts

Since the unpacking of this fifth Gaudi's album, I can't stop thinking about the word "generosity".. This album is bubbling over with generosity.. The digipack, first of all, with the 4 pages leaflet are in recycled cardboard/paper (without dwelling on it - which is noble) on which Ceridwen had fun with his paintbrushes, for a result that looks for nothing else than being beautiful. Nick Edell then complete the sleeve design (like the Kaya Project) focusing on simplicity and legibility. The generosity leaks out also in the texts detailing each of the influences that have inspired such and such a track, and also in the long list of acknowledgments and inspiring-artists.. Generosity, finally and before all in the content, the essence : the music ! More than 40 musicians, singers or speakers have been part of the creation of "Bass, Sweat & Tears"... Yalla, let's listen to them..

 

 

Posted Image

 

 

 

01. Tribalove

02. Sufani

03. Dub it

04. Babylon flamenco

05. Ayahuasca deep fall

06. Chaine a chaine

07. Ci fice lu mundu

08. Native dub

09. Tutta pe me

10. ...and the Earth said: oh my God

11. Kimiyaa e moraad

12. Theremystical

13. Meena

14. Truthful old man

15. Chant thermique

 

01-- Tribalove was created with Antonio Testa, an ethnologist who uses to involve music in his works and bring us to central and western Africa, where the Pygmy people have been using instruments used in this track (flute, talking drum -picture-, kalabash) for centuries. I love the shrill sound that punctuate the intro first, and then the rhythmics when begins the steady bassline drive.. A beautiful opening !

 

 

Posted Image

 

 

 

02-- Sufani is mystical poetry sung in the Qawwali tradition which lays on a musical collage where Islam and Hinduism meet. Melodies and rythms come from the Hindustani region (linking India and Pakistan) while the poems are arab or persian. This music has been popularized by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.. Gaudi links these influences with a radical rhythmic structure (one kick + one snare and so on... > in the mood of Puff Dragon for "Chinese Radio" in example) that is highly danceable.. Subtle melodies, alongside with numerous tiny sounds complete the floating ambiance.

 

03-- Dub It says it all : Gaudi brings us a good ol' dub beat, studded with rolling tabla and raw stell percussion.. The bewitching sound of the sitar is conversing with trancey elements in a superb way and the whole is definitaly irie !

 

04-- Babylon Flamenco, you have guessed it, is not polka-influenced. Together with the spanish band 'Ojos de Brujo', Gaudi brings another dub beat, colouring it here with andaluzian (sorry if there's a mispelling) flavours and delivering a sweet energy.. Accoustic guitar and characteristic handclaps, punctuated with short processed vocoder-samples and a huge bassline drive are recipes of this "spaced flamenco dub" meli-melo..

 

05-- Ayahuasca Deep Fall tells us about Piers Gibbon, an english botanist who went into the heart of the amazon rain forest to experience the "sacred vine".. The promising introduction brings us to an intensely groOvy beat.. The bass takes our control and makes us irremediably wriggle the hips.. The ambiance is rich and coloured.. A huge track !

 

06-- Chaîne à Chaîne brings us to Burkina Faso where Gaudi met the singer Eric Dah "Mo2ieu" who lends here his voice, telling in french about the situation in his country, and also refers to the days of slavery.. The first stanza, I dunno why, made me think about another song (Dans la Vallée, by Manau - I am not amateur, haha) regarding to the flow.. Besides, the quiet dub beat created by Gaudi is sensational and the subtilities of the ryhthmics hold the attention of the listenener.. Big Up for the conclusion, in a "end of improvised riddim" way..

 

07-- Ci Fice Lu Mundu is a traditional chant from Salento in soutern Italy (sung here by Alessandro Coppola, member of the band Nidi d'Arac). Gaudi accompagnies the band (playing guitars and trumpet) with a more Trip-Hop beat, pulled by a phat bassline which the score is rich..

 

08-- Native Dub is another ol'dubby structure conversing with flute and cries of the jungle.. The whole appears conciliating and brings us to a "just take it easy, mon" state of mind.. Nice one.

 

09-- For Tutta Pe' Me, Gaudi invited the italian singer and actress Lina Sastri in this chant of the dusk, mysterious and sensual, applying to the MoOn.. The viola sound in the opening has also been used by TIT in "Angel Voices".. Later, Salvatore Jovine's fisarmonica brings an original touch to this floating dub.

 

10-- ...And the Earth Said : Oh My God introduces the Huli culture, based in Papua-New Guinea and features their beautiful traditional intrument called Gawa (kind of mouth bow harp). Gaudi let the rhythmics come slowly in place, giving it a massive bassline drive.. before making later the track take off suddenly.. The result then is.. hehe.. just amazing.

 

11-- Kimiyaa E Moraad, meaning 'alchemy of desire" is the title of an iranian poem recited by Esraphiel. The fact that it is recited here by a woman here raise its impact beyond the 'simple' beauty of her voice. Violins and flute alone will accompagny her..

 

12-- Theremystical allows Gaudi to express himself on his theremin (picture).. It is a unique instrument : electronic box with two antennas sensitive to the variations of the electric field produced by the human body, and therefore requires no physical contact. I have seen the band Avril (F-Communications) using two of them on stage, and it is really impressive indeed. Notice that the instrument is also one of the onstage components of Gaudi's live-acts.. The track is introduced by a vocoder-sample arranged as a wink to the old records that were delivered with the turntables and the firsts stereo systems.. Then starts a strong dub beat that contrasts with the sharpen and floating sounds of the theremin, defined by the moves of Gaudi's hands.. Really a tasty track !

 

 

Posted Image

 

 

 

13-- Meena is the name of the hindi-singer who performs here while the percussions of Jagdev Anuraag and Khadim Haji, structured in 5/4 fragments bring an interesting dimension. The dialogue later with steady tablas is pleasant, and sometimes a stratospheric wave come and float on this whole.

 

14-- Truthful Old Man is a very emotional song featuring Antonio Cocco who went to heaven a few months after the recording. He was the last of the Cantadores, a very old tradition in Sardinia where he lived for 76 years.. The bassline drive holding his chant is just superb and the ambiance will bring the Negresses Vertes lovers to the tears..

 

15-- Chant Thermique features the unique Fire Organ, an immense instrument created by a french man (Michel Moglia) who allowed for the first time the use of his works in this album.. The massive intrument (20m by 8m - approx 2 tons) transforms the heat of flames into sound energy with a very wide range of frequencies.. In this song the instrument is first slave to the rhythmics, letting it setting up slowly, and then get out of its control to express itself widely.. It is a pity the track is that short.. I would have like to enjoy a few more !!

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

That's it for this "Bass, Sweat & Tears" which the title recalls the Churchill's famous promise, but which the aim here in only musical and emotional.. I don't know if Gaudi's nickname is connected to the architect, but still his musical environment is as rich as the architectural creations of the other.. His album follows in a perfect way the Walking Trough by Kaya Project in the catalogue of Interchill. The crew looks motivated to suggest us jewel after jewel.. Bravo !!

 

"Made In Canada, listened everywhere" appears on the cover.. I'd like to add "inspired from here and there !" :)

 

Thanx for the reading

cheerz

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...

this is a superb, broad-minded and horizon expanding album that should sit in everyone's down-tempo rack. Lots and lots of playtime ahead, I am sure...

 

bomble

Link to comment
Share on other sites

this cd is awesome... I expected something different, so on the first listen it didnt impress me.. then second, and third, and I was like: wooooowww

 

Some tracks are just amazing.... ayahuasca deep fall, what a bassline (right towelie?)... the next track chaine a chaine too, very good.. and that track with the pigmy people is very beautiful... in the cd with 15 tracks, I loved 8 tracks, liked 4, and thought 3 were ok.. no bad tracks... so I guess that´s good

 

 

and towelie.. would you mind telling me where you think the samples were? for example, the track 2 (where ott also has the same lyrics) is not sample, as it seems, but its recorded by gaudi by these singers.... it´s a famous poem, so it might explain why it was already used before..

 

and also, if you had bought the cd you would have see that the (great) booklet explain exactly what instrument and in what tracks the guest musicians play

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 months later...

yeah, I love this album...

 

He knows how to put together different styles of music with his very own style of dub.

 

This is world music with a taste of psy chill.

 

Very recommended.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...