Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali
| Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali | ||||
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| File:In C Mali cover.jpg | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 24 November 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2013 (Bamako, Mali) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Label | Transgressive | |||
| Damon Albarn solo chronology | ||||
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Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali is a studio album released by Africa Express, a UK-based non-profit organisation. The album is a recording of Terry Riley's minimalist composition In C, with playing from Malian and Western musicians. It was released through Transgressive Records on 24 November 2014.
Background and music
[edit | edit source]In C is a classical piece in the style of minimalism, composed by Terry Riley in 1964.[1] It was inspired by modal jazz and the repetition found in African music.[2] The piece begins with a droning pulse played on the note C.[3] Then, an unspecified amount of performers select from one of 53 melodic segments, which they repeat for as long as they choose.[3] This causes the phrases to interfere aleatorically, creating complex harmony and rhythms.[1]
There have been many recordings of In C since the first in 1968, but In C Mali is the first African one.[4] In C Mali was first initiated by the German conductor André de Ridder.[5] It was recorded in Bamako, Mali, in 2013.[5] The album was released in 2014, the fiftieth anniversary of In C's composition.[6] It was released physically via Transgressive Records in 2015.[7] Africa Express' rendition runs for 41 minutes.[3] It keeps the same key elements of the original, but adds extra details, for example, flutes, strings, and a spoken word soliloquy (during which, the pulse stops).[8] 17 musicians play on the album, consisting of both Malian and Western musicians (including Damon Albarn, Nick Zinner, and Brian Eno).[9] The pulse is played on the balafon.[10] Ridder served as the conductor.[3]
Reception
[edit | edit source]Paul Mardles of The Guardian gave the album four out of five stars, and praised the "new details" that give the recording its charm.[11] Joe Tangari of Pitchfork rated the album 8.1 out of 10 points, praising its distinction from other In C recordings, and the ensemble's "dynamic interplay".[3] The album received three-and-a-half out of five stars from Andy Beta of Rolling Stone.[2] Mark Kidel of The Arts Desk gave the recording a perfect score, and wrote it may be the most "exciting version" of In C.[10]
Personnel
[edit | edit source]Adapted from Tangari 2015.
- Adama Koita – kamel n’goni
- Alou Coulibaly – percussion
- Andi Toma – percussion
- André de Ridder – multi-instrumentalist, conductor
- Badou Mbaye – percussion
- Bijou – vocals
- Brian Eno – vocals
- Cheick Diallo – flute
- Damon Albarn – melodica
- Defily Sako – kora
- Guindo Sala – imzad
- Jeff Wootton – guitar
- Kalifa Koné – balafon
- Modibo Diawara – kora
- Mémé Koné – balafon
- Nick Zinner – guitar
- Olugbenga – vocals
References
[edit | edit source]Citations
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b Clark 2015; Tangari 2015.
- ^ a b Beta 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Tangari 2015.
- ^ Clark 2015; Mardles 2014.
- ^ a b Clark 2015.
- ^ Mardles 2014; Tangari 2015.
- ^ Fact writers 2015.
- ^ Clark 2015; Mardles 2014; Tangari 2015.
- ^ Fact writers 2015; Clark 2015.
- ^ a b Kidel 2015.
- ^ Mardles 2014.
Sources
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