TerraSonic

Planet Waves

2009-04-04T15:06:00.020-06:00

We're surfing a wave of brilliant new and recent releases, with many of them finding their way into this week's playlist. We'd like you to know about them too.

One record getting a lot of well-deserved attention is Tres Tres Fort by Congo's Staff Benda Bilili. Introduced to western ears by Crammed Discs' Vincent Kenis, the musical explorer who brought us the Congotronics sound (including Konono No. 1 and Kasai AllStars), the band consists of four homeless disabled singers/guitarists backed by a rhythm section of abandoned orphans. Their skiffling, rumba-flavored, acoustic-based music is not as apparently edgy as that of their Crammed labelmates, but they pull no punches with their lyrics as they address current social issues of health and homelessness in Congo, and have become a voice of the people. They're featured in some great videos on YouTube.

Strut Records, source of those great Nigerian comps, bring us Black Rio: Brazil Soul Power 1971-1980. Selected and mixed by DJ Cliffy, this is a very cool collection of the socially-biting music of black Brazilians during a particularly tumultuous era. With Jorge Ben, Banda Black Rio, Trio Mocoto, Toni Tornado and more. Seriously funky and full of soul.

Lost Souls, by England's Niraj Chag, uses tempting hooks, sparse South Asian percussion and delicate Indian lyrics to address the uncertainty of our times. It dances with pop beauty upon casual listening, but repeated listening reveals compositional depth and a well-developed vision.

Also new and requiring further examination: Mexican Insitute of Sound's Soy Sauce, Ping Kong from Duoud, Oreka TX from Spain's Basque region, and remixes by Balkan Beat Box. More to come on those.

***
I was asked to review Juana Molina's latest release, Un Dia, for KGNU's Spring Program Guide. It came out in October and has received a lot of attention and play, so it's not exactly new. However, the assignment gave me good cause to spend some serious time with Ms. Molina's music, and one can never have too much of that.

Un Dia, Juana Molina’s fifth recording, is a sonic opiate. At turns and all at once, it thrills, massages, sedates and delights, extending a winning streak of enthralling releases dating back to her first (Rara). In her Buenos Aires backyard studio, she pipes childlike voice and acoustic guitar through electronic toys -- a marriage of wood, steel and circuits yielding hypnotic nursery rhymes and dark lullabies.

Molina’s acoustictronic trip begins with the title track. Repetitive incantations in front of assertive guitar and insistent electronic treatments build exquisite suspense to a liberating climax before giving way to the more melodic “Vive Solo”. On “Los Hongos de Marosa”, the centerpiece of Un Dia’s coffeehouse trance journey, Molina’s voice turns dreamily percussive, hovering just above her intricate treatments like fog over a morning meadow. “No llama” displays Juana’s evident guitar skill, and the closing “Dar (Que Dificil)” punctuates this entrancing suite with gothic folksiness, trippy subdued electronica and rhythmic finality.

Born into a family of musicians, Juana Molina walked away from her starring role in a hit Argentinean TV comedy to return to her musical roots, leaving behind certain success in the pursuit of her art. Good choice? The answer lies in the indelibly lush and personal imprint she leaves on every sculpted song.

***
Here are some tracks from the above-referenced new releases, and the link to the 4 April edition of TerraSonic. Subscribe to the podcast from Underheard.org or the iTunes Store.

Staff Benda Bilili - "Avramandole" (from Tres Tres Fort)
União Black - "Black Rio" (from Black Rio: Brazil Soul Power 1971-1980)
Niraj Chag - "Vaani" (from Lost Souls)

TerraSonic - 04 April 2009

In concert

2009-03-17T01:10:00.004-06:00

I keep returning to those Kutiman videos that you surely have -- or should have -- seen by now, and meditating on why I'm so drawn to them. The images are unique and pleasing to the eye, sure, and the songs themselves are solid, as repeated listening to the mp3s reveals. But that's not why I keep going back.

I've decided it's because the videos reveal to me in an essential way how connected we all really are. We talk about how our wired, Facebooked, broadband technology makes the world a smaller place. But now an Israeli producer, working on a MacBook in his bedroom, shows us how small it really is.

These many musicians each sing their own song; but through the guiding hand of Kutiman, they make beautiful music together. It sounds so natural I have to remind myself as I listen that their synchronicity is not intentional. Yet though it was manipulated, mixed and edited by a clever, creative artist, even Kutiman was "[amazed] to see how many movies matched together, without me even touching it."

A lot of the web commentary points out that this project presages the death of copyright (in a good way), though I think we’ve seen that coming for a while now. But Thru-You for me is Sufi thinker Hazrat Inayat Khan’s philosophy made (virtual) flesh: "Life is a symphony, and the action of every person in this life is the playing of his particular part in the music."

The idea that we really are one big band, grooving and harmonizing and clashing and clanking together is nothing new, but I’m moved to see it rendered so lovingly. Given the current collective mood, it's refreshing to behold and celebrate this connectedness which is so readily at hand if we're open to it -- and to one another.

***
One of my parts in this grand symphony is to share some music with you. The radio’s the primary conduit for that; this space is another. I opened my most recent KGNU Afternoon Sound Alternative with this set. It’s not directly related to TerraSonic in that it’s not world music, per se. But our magic carpet is woven from many musical threads.

Artist // Track // Album
Johnny Cash // Rock Island Line (Wolf Remix) // Remixed
Steinski // Them That’s Not // What Does It All Mean?: 1983-2006 Retrospective
Kutiman // I M New // Thru-You
Professor Shehab & Iloop // Drunken Money (Ambient Remix) // Uproot: The Ingredients (DJ/Rupture)
Money // Science Fiction // Broken Jazz 101 EP
Pop Levi // Dollar Bill Rock // The Return to Form Black Magick Party
Steve Spacek // Dollar (Produced by J Dilla) // Space Shift

ASA Today Mix – 090313

***
Thanks to all of you who turned out last week to support TerraSonic’s first KGNU Spring Pledge Drive Show. The response is greatly appreciated. If you missed it, fret not. We’ve got one more drive show this Saturday.

If you’re able to join us this week, your money will go twice as far, as a generous, anonymous donor will match all pledges dollar-for-dollar up to $1000. That’s serious bucks by community radio standards. We’re hoping to double our money up to the full $1000. If you listen via podcast and want to pledge at some time other than when the show's actually on the air, you can still apply your donation to TerraSonic by writing in the open field of the premium line "I specifically want this pledge to count for TerraSonic this coming Saturday."

Thanks in advance for your contribution. And, as always, thanks for listening.

Here's the link to last week's show:

TerraSonic - 090314

Reactivation Plan

2009-02-28T09:26:00.009-07:00

We're thrilled to announce that, beginning this Saturday, 28 February, at high noon Mountain Time, TerraSonic's broadcast domain is expanding to include KGNU's FM signals: 88.5 FM in Boulder and Denver, and 93.7 FM in Nederland. We'll also be available via the regular stream at kgnu.org (no more AM web stream!). Named by Westword as Denver's "Best World Music Radio Show", TerraSonic is your hour-long magic carpet ride around the world of music. A non-stop mix show exploring familiar routes and new traditions in international sound. From Asian Dub to Afro-Beat, Indian Breaks to Moroccan Roll; from then to now and here to there—TerraSonic conducts weekly experiments in its freeform world music laboratory. This has been a long coming and we're very excited that TerraSonic is once again available to anyone on the Front Range who cares to listen.

To celebrate, this auspicious moment, we're recommitting to making something useful out of this blogspace. In addition to the playlist, which has been and will continue to be available here, we'll post music reviews, info on local and other notable events, bonus tracks and mixes for your enjoyment, and a link to our weekly podcast (also available from our friends at Underheard and iTunes).

There'll be another post soon w/a special mix offered, so add us to your regular blog route and we'll do our best to make it worth the trip.

The itinerary for this week's show includes stops in Colombia via Barcelona with Che Sudaka, the townships of South Africa for a visit with The Mothers Project, some Ofra Haza bhangra and exciting soon-to-be-released new music from rai legend Cheb Khaled. We also speak with Adjie Abankwa about the 6th Annual BaoBao Festival, happening 3-7 March at various locations along the Front Range. And a whole lot more.

Thanks to all who listen to the show and support KGNU and community radio. We can't express our apprecation amply enough.

Here are the details for how, where and when to tune in (you already know why):

TerraSonic
1200-1300 MT every Saturday on KGNU
88.5 FM (Boulder)
1390 AM (Denver)
93.7 FM (Nederland)
kgnu.org (everywhere)
Podcast from Underheard.org and the iTunes Store
Facebookies are invited to join us on the TerraSonic Listener Ship.

Rebels on the Road

2007-10-31T21:39:00.000-06:00

Tinariwen and Vieux Farka Toure kick off a month-long North American tour in Aspen tomorrow night. Their stop in Boulder has the potential to be the concert of the year for the Front Range (though DJ Krush in Denver was pretty good too).

The legend of Tinariwen grows with each passing year and every solid record they put out (they're up to three now). The desert rock music of this Tuareg rebel guitar band provided the soundtrack to a rebellion--an uprising that ultimately gained the Tuaregs repatriation to their native northern Mali, and restoration (partial, at least) of their property rights by the Malian government. With guitars instead of guns, Tinariwen are the musical rallying point for an embattled culture.

Vieux Farka Toure continues blazing the path begun by his father, the late Ali Farka, whose West African blues guitar brought the desert to the Delta. Bearing that trademark Toure universal sound, Vieux brings a new voice to Africa's musical conversation with the world.

Here's a track from Tinariwen for you to consider, from their latest release, Aman Iman.

Tinariwen - "Toumast"

Here's a track from the Vieux Farka Toure remix record, UFOs Over Bamako:

Vieux Farka Toure - "Wosoubour" (eccodek remix)

Here are tour dates for Tinariwen and, on several dates, Vieux Farka Toure. Please go out and support--and enjoy--this music.

NOVEMBER 2007

01 : USA, Aspen (CO) - Wheeler Opera House (+ Vieux Farka Toure)

02 : USA, Boulder (CO) - Boulder Theatre (+ Vieux Farka Toure)

03 : USA, Santa Moncia (CA) - Temple Bar

04 : USA, San Francisco (CA) - San Francisco Jazz Festival (+ Vieux Farka Toure)

07 : USA, Knoxville (TN) - Bijou Room (+ Vieux Farka Toure)

08 : USA, Washington (DC) - Lisner Auditorium (+ Vieux Farka Toure)

10 : USA, Ithaca (NY) - State Theatre (+ Vieux Farka Toure)

15 : USA, Marquette (MI) - North Michigan University

16 : USA, Minneapolis (MN) - Cedar Cultural Center

17 : USA, Chicago (IL) - Old Town School of Folk Music

18 : USA, Wilmington (DE) - Grand Opera House

20 : CANADA, Toronto (ON) - Mod Club

21 : CANADA, Sherbrooke (QC) - Centennial Theatre

23 : CANADA, Montreal (QC) - Club Soda

24 : CANADA, Quebec City (QC) - Palais Montcalm

25 : USA, Boston (MA) - Museum of Fine Arts

26 : USA, Burlington (VT) - Higher Ground

27 : USA, New York City (NY) - Highline Ballroom (+ DJ JORO BORO)

30 : USA, Santa Fe (NM) - Lensic Auditorium

Entre l'ete

2007-06-24T11:50:00.000-06:00

Welcome to summer, and a long overdue new posting here. Life has been very packed lately, in a good way (mostly).

First and foremost, regular listeners will have by now noticed that the last few podcasts have been defective for some unknown reason that I'm trying to suss out. In the meantime, I'll go back to posting the show file here. You'll find the latest show at the bottom of this post.

There's been a tremendous amount of amazing music coming out lately, much of it available for download, some of it even for free. Starting with the free stuff, there are several tracks for the taking at the site of Russian electronica revolutionaries, Volga. Their music--ancient Russian folk songs and pagan rituals filtered through an array of electronics--is blessedly hard to classify, and possesses a sound all its own. The site offers downloads from each of Volga's seven releases, plus a remix record.

Manu Chao is offering a free download of the single "Rainin' in Paradize," in advance of his September release, Radiolina.

To celebrate 20 years of "Swimming Among Sharks," Berlin-based Piranha Musik has commissioned several of their DJ friends to mine their deep catalog and create themed, download-only "Jubilee" compilations. There are four volumes out so far, with my two favorites being Volume 2: Bellydance Carnival and Volume 4: Let's Get LatinOriental!. (I should qualify that statement with the admission that I haven't yet gotten to the equally tasty-looking volumes 1, Brass Attack, and 3, Girls Aloud.)

Quango is set to release Roots, Rock, Remixed, "The First Official Bob Marley Remix Album," with interpretations delivered by DJ Spooky ("Rainbow Country"), Bombay Dub Orchestra ("Lively Up Yourself") and Paul & Price ("Small Axe", my current favorite). "Soul Shakedown Party," remixed by Afrodisiac Sound System, can be heard at the record's MySpace page, and you probably won't have to look too hard to find a blog offering it for download. All of these remixes are very tastefully done, maintaining the original spirit and keeping Bob front and center. Irie!

Finally, we arrive at the link to the latest episode of TerraSonic (featuring some of the music mentioned in today's post). As ever, thanks for tuning in and Happy Summer!

TerraSonic - 23 June 07

Survey Says...

2007-03-30T22:44:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, TerraSonic had the esteemed privilege of doing the inaugural broadcast from KGNU's brand new Denver studio. I was awestruck by the possibilities that this tiny--though nicely painted--closet of a station brings to the Front Range airwaves. It was a pledge drive show, and the great response we received indicates that listeners are excited about this new development as well. Huge thanks to everyone who pitched in to support KGNU during the drive.

In addition, I extend a heartfelt thanks to anyone who had a hand in recognizing TerraSonic as "Best World Music Radio Show" in Westword's "Best of Denver" edition. That came out of nowhere and I'm stunned with appreciation. Sharing this music with you is one of my greatest pleasures. Thanks for taking the time to listen.

In other news...because we appear to be back to automatic with our friends at Underheard, I will no longer be posting files of the show here. You can download or stream it from the Shows page on the aforementioned Underheard, or get the podcast straight from the iTunes store. (Just search for "TerraSonic".) I promise we'll get this space back to mp3 blogdom soon.

Thanks again for listening.

Later Than Never

2007-02-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

Busy week. Just in time for this week's show, here's last week's show. Enjoy.

TerraSonic - 17 February 07

The Web and the Flow

2007-02-14T00:45:00.000-07:00

Mad Professor came to town last week. I'd not seen him before but have always dug his work and was very psyched for whatever he cared to put on for the disappointingly small but enthusiastic crowd (a lot of dudes, as my bud notabotanist pointed out).

I've always been a sucka for that deep bass groove, and when Professor served up those molten plates in his inimitable originator stylee, I came to grok dub. I was a barrier reef embedded off the coast of the soundboard, the waves of echo washing over me, eroding me into the reverb's seafoam.

Or something like that. He was joined onstage by Sister Aisha, an artist from his label, Ariwa, a name they rarely failed to mention during the too-frequent breaks. MP would dub out an absolutely slaying riddim--for four or five minutes. Then, just past the point where it seems you cannot survive without this sound, he'd stop and plug his new album (and the label, of course), then Sister Aisha would come out from her dance spot behind Mad Professor's soundboard and sing, usually exhorting us to praise Jah. (That part reminded me of why I don't see much reggae anymore.) Then, after another pitch, he'd drop another groove and kill everyone all over again.

I don't mean to dis Sister Aisha, and certainly not Mad Professor (he is a force). I was just hoping for an uninterrupted float trip on Dub River. When he did put his mind to the mix, it flowed. But the marketing stabs and empty reggae dammed my stream.

I called out for him to mix in some Baba Zula, the Turkish experimental group kicking off this week's show and for whom Mad Professor's produced two records, but to no avail. That's OK though. Redundant reggae aside, this is the guy who wrote the book.

Our new podcast giveaway is Voices Have Eyes, a new CD by a guy who has definitely taken some pages from that book. In this week's podcast, you'll hear eccodek's remix of Vieux Farka Toure's "Wosoubour", a track from the latter's eponymous debut. Vieux is the son of the late musical ambassador of Mali, Ali Farka Toure, and thus is the subject of a ton of hype and overwhelming expectation. I'm pleased to report that this is an extraordinary record, the current buzz of the world music biz, and does not disappoint. Just ask TerraSonic listener Bil from Denver. He won a copy during last week's show.

Back to eccodek though...here's an artist who embodies that 21st century multiculti sensibility to which TerraSonic subscribes. In addition to the original record, brewed up in eccodek's Guelphian Monastereo, Voices Have Eyes features his remix of "Wosoubour" as well as the track he did for National Geographic's GeoRemix project and some other bonuses as well.

To get yourself a free copy of this beautiful excursion into global dub, be the first podcast listener to respond with the secret word embedded within the show and it's yours. (Thanks, btw, for the great response to last week's podcast giveaway. Congrats to Kerry of Pt. Townsend, WA, and Carolyn from Boulder for being last week's first two respondents. They'll be receiving their copies of Caetano Veloso's Cê any day now.)

(As previously disclosed: I manage the record label that has put out eccodek's first two releases. I'd still be playing this one even if I didn't, but because I do I can offer this CD to you long before it's April release.)

Good luck with the giveway; I look forward to hearing from you.

TerraSonic - 10 February 2007

JD to Jay Dee: R.I.P.

Up, stream!

2007-02-08T00:29:00.000-07:00

Just when I was starting to think it wouldn't happen...

The part of the world beyond the reach of KGNU's AM signal (aka everywhere but Denver) (though we love Denver too) can now hear TerraSonic live on the web. To do so, go here and click for the AM mp3 stream, or copy the link and paste it into your music player of choice. Big thanks to those intrepid KGNUers who withstood a gauntlet of IT issues and other obstacles in order to plug us in.

With this giant leap closer to full speed (¡Proxima estacion: FM!), this space will get back to actually talking about music instead of about a radio show that plays said music. To that end, I'd like to put in a word about this new Caetano Veloso record, Cê. Simply put, I cannot stop listening to it. It had me from the opening "Outro" and now I catch myself humming this track (often "Odeio") or that one (sometimes "Nao Me Arrependo") a lot of the time. "Rocks" and the closing "O Heroi" are exceptionally solid too.

I'm not really a rock guy, so maybe I'm missing something here, but this is the best r'n'r record I've heard in a while; bonus that it's sung in Portugese by Brazil's answer to Bob Dylan (only musically more relevant today). It's the perfect balance and sequence of kick-ass to heartfelt to heartbroken. With guitar, killer guitar. Produced by his son Moreno and guitarist Pedro Sa, and recorded live-to-tape (no edits) Cê's warm, stripped down sound gives it a real yesteryear feel. But Caetano, now 64, is still very much at the forefront of now.
As promised on last Saturday's show, I'm going to attempt a podcast giveaway of Caetano Veloso's new record, Cê. Here's how it works:

Download or stream the 3 Feb show from this site or Underheard, or get the podcast from iTunes. Listen for the key word I inserted into the podcast and be the first to email me with it and I'll send you a brand new copy of this very excellent new record. Be sure to include your mailing address when you write. This outstanding, TerraSonic-friendly CD is definitely worth a few keystrokes. Start emailing now. Good luck.

I'll leave it at that for now, friends. Thanks for reading (and for tuning in). Feel free to get in touch no matter how you're tuned in. I'm always happy to hear from you.

TerraSonic - 03 February 2007

on the fly

2007-01-18T23:37:00.000-07:00

Another crazy week. Almost forgot to post. I'm headed to New York tomorrow for a conference. There'll be a lot of music to see, including Globalfest.

Some record shopping is certainly in order as well. I heard some good samples from a new Caetano Veloso record. I look forward to sharing it all with you when I'm back next week.

Steve's taking over this Saturday. I recommend checking out his show. And here's the link to last week's episode. See you next week.

TerraSonic - 13 January 2007

Enter '07

2007-01-10T09:59:00.000-07:00

The original post I had planned here was somehow lost. Rather than try to recreate it, I'm posting the latest show and will come back with more next week. Enjoy, and Happy New Year.

TerraSonic - 06 January 2007

asseguèsse-ameguèsse

2006-12-31T15:07:00.000-07:00

The title to today's post translates from the Kabylian as Happy New Year. Best wishes to all of you for a great celebration that continues well into 2007.

I'm thankful to live in an area of incredible beauty and relative peace during these incredibly interesting times. And I'm grateful for listeners like you. This music wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable without you to share it with.

Thanks for tuning in. See you next year/week. I leave you with the latest show. Enjoy.

TerraSonic - 30 December 2006

buenos dias, pere noel

2006-12-23T22:29:00.000-07:00

Today's show is your audio companion to the 2006 Top 13 Albums for Snowbound Pleasure list I posted the other day. I hope at least one or two of them brought you some pleasure as well, snowbound or otherwise.

Have a fun, relaxing and safe Christmas holiday, and we'll see you next week. Thanks for listening.

TerraSonic - 23 December 2006

NOTE: I'll leave the file for last week's show up a little longer since I just posted it a few days ago. It likely won't be available as a podcast anywhere else so get it here if you're interested.

2-ft deep and rising

2006-12-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

As of this writing, nearly two feet of snow has accumulated on the back deck, with the forecast calling for another 5"-10" by the time it's done Thursday afternoon. My 12-minute commute took 50 minutes (incl. 10 stuck), and now the Saab is parked in a snowdrift, buried to its hood. No getting to work in this official State of Emergency. Sleeping in, snowshoeing down the middle of the street, shoveling snow. I love it. If it has to be cold, let it snow.

Inspired by this fine display of nature's almighty power over us, I feel a year-end list forming, like a low-pressure system over eastern Kansas, pulling in moisture from the Gulf, slamming it into the Colorado Front Range and wringing those clouds out right on top of us. Maybe the cabin fever's setting in already. Without further ado, I present to you:

TerraSonic's 2006 Top 13 Albums for Snowbound Pleasure:

13. Various / Radio Algeria & Radio Thailand / Sublime Frequencies

Tune in "Disco Maghreb" and--voila!--you're on a balcony in Algiers, sipping tea and overlooking the Mediterranean. The Thailand set is postively humid. I can smell it. In every sense of the word, these recordings are a trip.

12. Novalima / Afro / Quango

On this festive joint, 4 producers from Lima join forces with some of Peru's legendary folk musicians, updating traditional Afro-Peruvian songs from as far back as the slavery era. Excellent production and crazy booty-shaking-ness.

11. Various / Rough Guide to Yodel / World Music Network

Francis Bebey's "Pygmy Divorce" alone is worth the price of admission on one of RG's more genre-mixing collections. Sainkho Namtchyla k, Gillian Welch, Jimmie Rodgers and a dozen-plus others will have you thinking about yodel in new ways. Includes a "Yodeling Lesson".

10. Simon Diaz / Simon Diaz Remixed / unknown

A listener, Jose, called during a show last summer. He had just returned from his native Venezuela with a CD of remixes of the sublime Simon Diaz and offered to send me a copy. Google searches on this are pretty fruitless, but I'll play it for you as much as I can. Thanks, Jose.

9. eccodek / More Africa In Us / White Swan Records

Full disclosure: in my dayjob I manage the record label that put this out. That doesn't mean I can't dig it though. This is an afro-dub dream done elegantly. And, as the label guy, I can attest that it's just a taste of what's to come on eccodek's next one, Voices Have Eyes.

8. Juana Molina / Son /Domino

In a New York Times piece on Juana, they visited her home studio in Argentina. From the description, it sounded like a life-sized, handmade musicbox. This record was made there.

7. Auktyon / Pioneer / Circular Moves

As it turns out, this powerfolk band has been together for over 20 years and is a big deal back home in Russia. This record pulls together tracks from their dozen or so releases. From one track to the next, it's like the best Russian hockey: multi-faceted, unpredictable and hugely entertaining.

6. Miguel Anga Diaz / Echu Mingua / World Circuit

With its (mostly-) trad son, straight-outta-Havana hip hop, dynamite conga explosions and a moving version of "A Love Supreme", this record leaps out as one of the best in the post-Buena Vista era of Cuban music. Sadly, that's all we get. Anga passed away unexpectedly last summer. He was 45.

5. Natacha Atlas / Mish Maoul / Mantra

Early collaborator Count Dubulah from Temple of Sound returns to the controls, striking a balance between soft and slamming and resulting on Ms. Atlas' best record in years. I've always loved how classic she sounds in a traditional setting, as captured here on a few pieces, namely "Yariet".

4. Cheb i Sabbah / La Ghriba (La Kahena Remixed) / Six Degrees

For La Kahena, Chebiji, the original DJ, returned home, scouring the Maghreb for its finest voices, then put his heart, soul and best beats into a love letter to/from North Africa. Now, those same tracks are remixed here by a hand-picked group of his proteges and inspirees.

3. Various / Tropicalia: A Brazilian Revolution In Sound / Soul Jazz

I fawned over this one pretty well last week and don't want to overdo it. But if you're looking for a surefire crowd pleaser of a record, this one's about as close as it gets to a sure thing.

2. Cyro Baptista / Love the Donkey / Tzadik

Yes, we do love the donkey, Cyro. Possibly my favorite record to come from John Zorn's relentlessly adventurous label. Baptista and his band careen through assorted styles, rhythms and sounds with ease, expertise and apparent, infectious joy.

1. Instituto Mexicano del Sonido / Mejico Maxico / Nacional Record s

Ciudad Mexico tastemaker Camilo Lara, using only his computer, his extensive vinyl and his mind, concocts this astonishing debut. Samples laced through roller rink organs, shuffling drums, low rider beats and other sound interpretations of the City of Hope.

And there you have it. A fine set of records from a year that was interesting, though I'm sure not nearly as fascinating as 2007 will turn out to be.

Whatever your New Year philosophy, have a great holiday and thanks again (and again and again) for tuning in. Here's to what comes next...

(And here's last week's show. Sorry for posting so late.)

TerraSonic - 16 December 2006

A conversation with Lura

2006-12-16T09:09:00.000-07:00

Following the path of "barefoot diva" Cesaria Evora, Cape Verdean singer Lura is the best-known of a new generation of musicians from the West African island nation. I had the opportunity to speak with Lura in advance of her return to Denver on Saturday night.

You can listen to the interview here.

Lura performs Saturday, 16 December, at 8pm at the Master's Bible Church, 1477 S. Columbine in Denver. For more information and tickets, contact the Swallow Hill Music Association, 303 777 1003.

Marhabahia

2006-12-11T20:33:00.000-07:00

Someone once told me that windborne Saharan sands sometimes blow westward across the ocean, depositing in Brazil. I was skeptical, but as it turns out, it's true. In fact, that sand is an essential source of nutrients in Amazon rainforest soil, and those wind patterns may have everything to do with the severity of the Atlantic hurricane season. Fascinating, eh?

As part of this month's reminiscence of some of 2006's finer releases, we look at the highlights from the (loosely defined) second quarter. That these records all have North African or Brazilian origins is partly coincidental, partly revealing of my apparent bias for those styles.

I've already written about a couple of these records: Cheb i Sabbah's magnificent La Ghriba, a collection of remixes from his 2005 release, La Kahena, and the latest effort from the lovely Natacha Atlas, Mish Maoul. Both hold up well with repeated listening. "Hayati Inta" from Ms. Atlas is one of my favorite songs of the year, all medina attitude, big bass line and solid beats. It's a nice contrast to the more acoustic sound she's been bringing to her live shows lately. The Chakadoons' remix of Chebiji's "Toura Toura" is exciting not just for the new perspective on the track, but also for the discovery (mine, anyway), of this LA-based production team.

On the Brazilian side, I got a lot of mileage this year out of Love the Donkey, from Brazilian-born, Brooklyn-based bizarro Cyro Baptista and his ensemble, Beat the Donkey. I've heard Baptista's name for years, as his session work reads like a Who's Who of contemporary music, but it was catching them live at the inaugural GlobalFest that really got my attention. The stage set was a junkyard of found instruments. The sounds elicited from them by Baptista and Co. were incredible to hear and truly a sight to behold. While the CD, from John Zorn's Tzadik label, is missing the visual dimension, the music is there with all its crafty charms. "Tap on the Cajon" and "Caboclinho" are but two of the highlights from this immensely engaging record. There's also a decent version of Led Zep's "Immigrant Song".

But my favorite record from the 2nd quarter and maybe for the whole year is Tropicalia, a brilliant compilation from Soul Jazz. Subtitled "A Brazilian Revolution In Sound", this collection is a revelation in sound as well. Triggered in 1968 as a response to Brazil's military junta government and the Brazilian establishment in general, the Tropicalismo in many ways mirrored the domestic upheaval occuring in the US at the same time. The movement so empowered the Brazilian citizenry that it's leading fomenters, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, were exiled to London. The movement itself may have been short-lived, but the music still lives and breathes, as evidenced by every single track on this comp. In addition to Veloso and Gil, MPB legends Tom Ze, Os Mutantes, Jorge Ben and the incomparable Gal Costa lend tracks that are soulful, hard-hitting, timeless, edgy and fun. I really can't single out tracks here--they're all amazing. Run right out and get this one today.

Next week, we'll look back with longing at some of our favorites from Q3 '06. Until then, please consider checking out some of the above. Below, you'll find the link to our most recent program. (Playlist is here.)

TerraSonic - 09 December 2006

BTW--I'm always interested in hearing from you, the listener/reader. It's all about you, after all. What were your favorite records/tracks/artists in 2006? Talk to me, people...

That "time" has come

2006-12-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

End of the year's approaching so it must be "best of" list time. I'm not a big fan of rankings but I do like to take a look back at the year's highlights before turning my attention to the new year's first releases. Over the next few weeks, I'll remind you of some particularly noteworthy titles (noteworthy to me, anyway), and end the year with a top-something list.

This year began with the debut by Miguel "Anga" Diaz'. Echu Mingua is a solo outing every bit as adventurous and auspicious as that of his frequent collaborator, the great bassist Orlando Cachaito Lopez. Anga's blanket of Cuban conga magic covers a slew of settings and styles ranging from the slow boiling "A Love Supreme" to the freely flowing "Freeform". In addition to Cachaito, guests include Mali's Baba Sissoko and pianist Ruben Gonzalez. Dee Nasty adds turntable cha cha cha. Echu Mingua trumpets the arrival of the new garde in Cuban jazz. Sadly, it will have to stand as the final document from a musician hitting his stride. On August 9th, Anga Diaz passed away suddenly. He was 45.

Another early '06 release that I still cannot get enough of is Mejico Maxico by the Instituto Mexicano del Sonido (Mexican Institute of Sound). Every bit as experimental as their kindred souls and labelmates in the Nortec Collective, on this beautiful record MIS combine dub, groove, lounge, rock and electronic styles and sounds into the whole enchilada. As I mentioned earlier, I'm not into ranking, but if I were this one would be a contender for top slot. Trust me on this one.

We'll get to some more releases in next week's post. For now, I hope you'll consider either of the above, and enjoy this week's show. Here's the playlist.

TerraSonic - 2 December 2006

hey, thanks

2006-11-20T22:04:00.000-07:00

I don't have much to talk about this week, but I do want to thank you for sticking with the show. It's nice to know you're listening.

Thanks for all of you and have a great holiday.

George will be in the chair this week. I'll see you on the 2nd.

The link to the latest show is below. And the playlist is here.

TerraSonic - 18 November 2006

Refresher Course

2006-11-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

Finally feeling like I'm mentally back from Spain, two weeks after my bodily return. It had been nearly a month since I last opened the big bag of TerraSonic CDs and was refreshing to rediscover some great new releases that I'd nearly forgotten about in my tapas-fueled haze.

Today's show featured more musical finds from WOMEX, as well as the mesmerizing new release from Tuareg nonet Tartit, Abacabok, and the domestic issue of David Krakauer and Socalled's Bubbemeises (a record that longtime TSonic listeners will recall hearing a lot of earlier this year when the European release was in heavy rotation). We also rolled out an advance track from the forthcoming release from Antibalas, Security.

I also finally spent some long overdue time with a recording by Dona Dumitru Siminica, who was somewhat of a musical legend in Bucharest c. 1960. His haunting voice pours a touching sense of heartbreak into this collection of drinking songs and love laments, and his eerie vocals presage his lonely passing. Though adored by his countrypeople, he was not particularly popular with the Ceausescu crowd. He died, alone, in a stairwell, of a failed heart. His death went unreported by the official Romanian press. Sounds From a Bygone Age Vol. 3 provides a loving remembrance.

One of the better recent finds from the WOMEX treasure trove is a new record from Turkish percussionist Burhan Ocal and the Trakya All Stars. Featuring Tunisian/Parisian electronics and oud specialist Smadj, this amazing release is full of grooves both deep and real. It comes courtesy of our friends at Doublemoon, the prolific and groundbreaking Turkish label home to such TSonic favorites as Mercan Dede, Aziza A and Baba Zula. Doublemoon is one of the world's best-run labels, and one of its best kept secrets as well. Incidentally, I'm eager to see the film Crossing the Bridge, a documentary offering an insiders glimpse of the Istanbul underground scene that many of Doublemoon's artists helped establish.

As always, thanks for tuning in to TerraSonic. Our holiday wish this year: a regular webstream so that we can not only reach listeners in Boulder, but also hopefully bring back many of those around the country that I know we've lost touch with since the transition from Radio 1190 to our new home at KGNU. Good people are working to make this dream a reality and I'm reasonably confident that we'll soon be available to more of you on a regular basis.

Your questions, requests, comments and criticisms are always welcome here--and here too. Please get/keep in touch. Thanks again and see you next week.

TerraSonic - 11 November 2006

PS--thanks for voting.

The 'X' in WOMEX

2006-11-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hola amigas y amigos. I'm back from a very rejuvenating two weeks away in Spain, first for a week in a very comfortable villa overlooking the Meditereranean coastal town of Salobrena, on the Costa Tropical. Then to the remarkable city of Sevilla, where a week just isn't enough.

Attending WOMEX, the WOrld Music EXpo, was the ostensible motivation for the trip, but if you're going to fly all the way to Spain, you may as well tack 10 days of tapas, cervezas, monkeys and Moorish architecture on to the front end, right? (And let's not forget the jamon.)

The 12th edition of WOMEX, held at FIBES in Sevilla, while plagued by rain at the start of the conference and sound problems during the evening showcases, was the largest ever, attended by over 2500 world music industry professionals from around the globe. Meeting in lovely foreign locales to network with my colleagues and forward the mission I pursue at my day job is certainly appropriate for someone involved with international music, and when done with beer in hand, shouting over loud music, it beats the pants off IM-ing from a dark office. But just because it's fun doesn't mean it isn't work. There was a lot of ground to cover, a lot of connections to make, a lot of promos to hand out.

Of course, there were a lot of promos to pick up too, as revealed by this week's playlist, populated exclusively by music acquired at WOMEX. This year's treasure trove consists of advance releases (new Tinariwen, for example), music out already elsewhere but still seeking an outlet in the US, and the dozens of showcase artists who performed at this year's conference. Of the latter, the biggest highlight for me was Cuba's X Alfonso, whose inventive video presentation synched perfectly to their big, uptown Havana sound; deep, funky, positive and moving.

Afrobeat up-and-comers Nomo put on a great set, as did Algerian-born Manu Chao protege Akli D, Mauritius' Menwar and Israeli surf/lounge trio Boom Pam. I wasn't particuarly impressed with the accordion, percussion or programmed ocean and bird sounds put forth by Basque artist Tomas San Miguel, but the lovely twins accompanying him on the txalaparta were worthy of attention. I've never seen an instrument like that and am still hearing the lovely sounds they coaxed from it.

Finally, special mention goes to Colombia's Aterciopelados (translation: "the velvety ones"), compellingly led by Andrea Echevarri, whose presence--not to mention pants (yes, they were velvet)--was a highlight of the first night's concerts. The new record is pretty good too.

It was tough to tear myself away from the Spanish lifestyle, but it's good to be back at the TerraSonic wheel, especially with all this new music to share with you. And besides, WOMEX returns to Sevilla next year (and 2008 too). Insha'allah, I shall return.

This week's show, as I mentioned, features only music gathered at WOMEX, but it's just a small sampling of what I picked up there. We'll be hearing plenty more in future weeks--in addition to the neverending rollout of great new releases, tried-and-true classics and the rarified gems that make up the vast TerraSonic sound vault.

Thanks, as always, for listening. And thanks also to Steve Rush for doing a great job covering for me during my extended siesta.

TerraSonic - 4 November 2006

One last thing...vote!

Whoops...

2006-10-14T14:20:00.000-06:00

Well, I was all ready to post today's show for you but I'm sorry to say that due to some computer-related issues that post will not be available. Apologies to anyone who might have been waiting for it.

I'm kind of in a pre-departure frenzy as an airport shuttle will arrive in about 90 minutes and then begins our two-week journey to Spain--first to Salobrena on the Costa Tropical, then to Sevilla for WOMEX.

The very talented Steve Rush will man the TerraSonic helm while I'm away, and you'll be in good hands. There will likely not be a podcast until I return (that'd be the 4 November show), but I'm looking forward to sharing a lot of new music with you.

You and Steve please keep each other company while I'm away, and we'll get back to talking music as soon as I'm back from Espana.

Until then, thanks for listening to TerraSonic.

Adios amigos y amigas,

Joel

Many thanks

2006-09-30T13:43:00.000-06:00

I'm much obliged to all of you who called in during TerraSonic today to lend your support to TerraSonic during KGNU's fall membership drive. It was nice to hear from all the longtime listeners who made the leap along with me from Radio 1190 to KGNU.

Despite the rocky start, tech-wise, it's heartening to know that you're still out there listening. The AM webstream I believe would have been on line today if it hadn't been for KGNU's server moving or something. Thus, no webstream for anyone from KGNU. Next week though, insha'allah.

Program note: there will be no TerraSonic next week as KGNU is extending its flagship bluegrass show an extra hour on the last day of the pledge drive. I will return the following week--14 October--and then am off for two weeks, scouring Andalucia for more music for all of us to enjoy. You will be in very able hands while I'm away though. More on that later.

Here's the mp3 of this week's show, and the playlist is here. As always, thanks for tuning in.

TerraSonic - 30 September 2006

Thongs S'long

2006-09-22T18:22:00.000-06:00

Settled in to watch Y tu mamá también the other night and was instantly floored by the music in the DVD menu. A super tight and funky rhythm con sabor Mexicano. A vocal sample rings a bell but I can't place it. The woman's vocal all hot and urgent. I had to have it.

AMG tells me that it's "Afilo de Comilo" by Titan y Maria Rodriguez. Two names new to me, but I'll be catching up. Good thing the entire soundtrack's solid; I couldn't find a downloadable version of the track so shelled out for the CD. Great tracks by Plastilina Mosh and Cafe Tacuba in one vein, and Eno and Zappa in entirely another.

Then there's the Rough Guide to Yodel, a new release from the World Music Network's endless series. It starts with an effective and illuminating "Yodel Lesson" by Cathy Fink that put this particular vocal acrobatic within reach. Yodel reveals itself in a remarkably broad range of musical styles and traditions, as it turns out. As one might expect, the collection includes a few of your basic country & western and Swiss yodels, but also features a Hawaiian cowboy song, an Inuit piece by Sainko Namtchylak, and my favorite, "Pygmy Divorce", sung by the late Francis Bebey and featured in today's show.

******

Rumor has it that the webstream will be up and running by next week. Good news for out-of-towners and, ironically, Boulder listeners, who can only get the 1390AM signal in their cars.

Next week also marks the start of KGNU's Fall Membership Drive. Please consider lending your support to KGNU during TerraSonic, or whatever time is convenient for you.

Once the show starts streaming--and if Underheard is willing and able to continue manually posting the podcast--I'll probably stop posting the show here and instead go back to offering up a couple of tracks every week that I think you'll like (and, I hope, consider purchasing)

Here's this week's show (and here's the playlist). As always, thanks for tuning in to TerraSonic.

TerraSonic - 23 September 2006

Summer Blows Away

2006-09-16T12:10:00.000-06:00

How suddenly it arrives, the end of summer. We'll be breaking out the winter djellabahs before we know it.

After a month or so of technical difficulties, my friends at Podswap have reunited me with an iPod. I like to load it with random tracks, which allows me to rediscover (or even discover) music I'd forgotten about or never heard to begin with. When I plugged the new pod in yesterday, Omar Sosa greeted me with a really amazing track from Sentir, a sensational mix of Cuban, Afro-Venezuelan and Gnawa styles and instrumentation, flowing from Sosa's singular jazz perspective.

That track begins today's show and, from there, the magic carpet careens around the globe. My lifelong pursuit of "that sound" continues. following the thread that sews it all together wherever it may lead. Can you hear it?

No podcast via Underheard last week. I think they were having some technical difficulties. We're hoping to have that webstream for you soon. Here's today's playlist. As always, thanks for keeping in tune with TerraSonic.

TerraSonic - 16 September 2006

Second Time's the Charm

2006-09-09T14:24:00.000-06:00

Here's the latest episode of TerraSonic. The KGNU AM webstream will be resolved soon, maybe even in time for next week's show, and definitely in time for KGNU's fall membership drive. Once that happens, the show will be available worldwide in real time. (Then, we make our move for a spot on KGNU's FM signal, but we'll be patient about that.)

TerraSonic - 9 September 06

Here's the playlist. Something's a little screwy with it too, but our crack technical team is working on it now.

The show is still available as a file, stream and podcast on the very cool site, Underheard. And it looks like dozens of podcast sites (including iTunes) are offering it as a podcast as well. As soon as the webstream happens, I'll stop posting the file here and will resume offering a couple of songs for your consumption and enjoyment.

Thanks for tuning in. We'll see you next week.