Open Your Ears

I've been listening to Takes on Words' second release Incredible World [Ordnung & Hartman Records] regularly over the last two weeks. For those not in the know, Takes on Words (a modal song project) is a collaboration between vocalist and multimedia artist Aja Waalwijk and veteran of the German Rock underground Uli Trepte.

Anyone who knows me will be aware that I've been a fan of Trepte's music since the 70's when I bought a copy of Guru Guru's UFO which was a mind-bending sonic assault. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Uli has remained true to the promise of the underground and this has shaped his musical projects since that time: Kickbit Information, Spacebox and his solo works (of which there are many).

From the Incredible World liner notes:

"Their new song creations here minimalize the sound, groove and form of the pop song, while the words have the complexity of an art song. Especially the lyrics of Aja possess a poetic flair that is unique, and those of the Dadaists Hans Arp, Christian Morgenstern and Paul Van Ostaijen are still contemporary as flipped out."

Special mention should be made of the other musicians involved: Edgar Hofmann on reeds and violin, Ben Waalwijk on keyboards and Tapsi Kim on djembe. Their contributions are perfect for the crystal clear sparseness of the arrangements: nothing cluttered, but full of colour.

I've also been spinning Gétatchèw Mèkurya's Negus of Ethiopian Sax [Éthiopiques #14] which is awe-inspiring as so much of late 60's/early 70's Ethiopian music seems to be. What makes so much of the music appealing is its unique take on western musical styles blended with local forms. Mèkurya adapted the shellèla vocal style to the sax. Historically, shellèla was sung before a battle to "galvanise one's troops".

From the notes:

"Beyond the military references, here we encounter a musical form that is daring, improvisational, angry and impetuous, where each melisma spirals dizzyingly towards less structure and greater freedom in the playing."

Remarkably hypnotic sounds. Like I said, open your ears and be amazed at what you can hear.