New World Adds: Bombino, Débruit & Alsarah
Bombino - Azel: Tuareg guitarist & singer, Bombino is revamping traditional Tuareg music alongside Tinariwen – another popular Tuareg band—with electric guitars and new rhythms. However, whereas Tinariwen’s droning guitars and chanting captures the warm wind of the dessert in a spiritual way, Bombino rests in a more mortal plane. Lively and carousing for most of the album, Bombino sings a lot about people and relationships. His music also incorporates more western influence than Tinariwen. Perhaps it is from who his producers have been, Dan Auerbach produced his last album, “Nomad”, and you can hear his hand in it very distinctly: it sounds like a Tuareg musician interpreting Black Keys’ music—it’s not bad. Dave Longstreth of Dirty Projectors produced Azel, but unlike Auerbach, was much more of a supporting role than Auerbach, according to Bombino who noted that Auerbach had an idea of what he wanted and imposed it on the record while Longstreth was more collaborative and subtle making this a more authentic Bombino record. IAN
Recommended Tracks: Timtar, Inar (studio video), Akhar Zaman
Débruit & Alsarah - Aljawal: Traditional Sudanese folk and children’s’ songs reimagined and wrung out by electronica: sounds hip, no? Well that’s what this is! Breton electronic producer Débruit helps Karthoum born Alsarah, (of Alsarah and the Nubatones), take some of her favorite Nubian folk songs. There are songs like Karthoum, where Débruit is given the lead, but throughout much of the album, he highlights Alsarah and wraps the traditional music in synths and samples. Though, the dubi/house-ness of it is a little much at times much of it works to good effect, with played out tropes being drowned out by funky synths and good drum sampling. One of my quibbles is when the good sampling and mixing is being drowned out by not as great drumkit basslines. I think overall it feels fresh, due in great part to Alsarah being one of two main artists on the album rather than a featured vocal. IAN
Recommended Tracks: Jibal Alnuba(music video), Sharara, Alsarahra, Alrahal