Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Tarana: A Fire Of Flowers Grows Around Us
Tarana: A Fire Of Flowers Grows Around Us
ByFirst impressions being what they are, the surfaces of Tarana's music bear an unmistakable resemblance to electronica. The duo's music simply would not be possible without electronic processing, loops, samples, and synthesizers. Tempos are slow-to-moderate. The influence of iconoclastic visionaries such as Brian Eno, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Bill Laswell, and Nils Petter Molvaer loom large here. Tracks such as the plodding, malevolent "Safar," the gauzy, Middle Eastern-influenced "Tehrah," and the urgent, extraterrestrial grooves of "Batik" and "That Tweaky" orbit close to Laswell's sound-world, while not being subsumed by its gravitational field. On the other hand, the catchy melody of "Gara Guna" is, itself, manipulated and morphed in a way that directly related to dub reggae. Like Molvaer's electronica- infused trance music, Tarana's music moves the body as it tickles the mind.
Parker's trombone sound is electronically modified in a way that many would say resembles Miles Davis' plugged-in sounds of the mid-1970s. But that's just the surface. Really, what Parker is doing here, primarily with chorus effects and digital delays, is much more akin to the work of J. A. Deane and Jon Hassell. The instrument is just a source; the core elements of the music are generated by electronically manipulating that source sound. Similarly, Momin creates rhythms, bass lines and other sounds using a wide array of loops, samples, triggers, electronic pads, and an acoustic drum set. In fact, the electronic sounds here are so carefully layered that the acoustic drums seem almost disruptive. It's an effect that Momin uses often, and quite well.
Though Tarana's music has the feel and sound of electronic dance music, improvisational elements are still a crucial part of A Fire Of Flowers Grows Around Us. This music is made in real time: that much is palpable, and live performances of the duo have all the sweat and soul of real in- the-moment music-making. Lacking drum fills, solos over changes, swinging bass lines and such, it's difficult to call Tarana's music jazz. But it's also difficult to imagine that it matters anymore.
Track Listing
Myvatn; Kerherwa; That Tweaky; Batik; Gara Guna; Tehrah; Nanatronic; Safar.
Personnel
Ravish Momin: drums, percussion, loops, electronics; Rick Parker: trombones, loops, electronics.
Album information
Title: A Fire Of Flowers Grows Around Us | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Wondermachine Music
< Previous
Hidros 6: Knockin'
Next >
Southern Sun
Comments
Tags
Tarana
CD/LP/Track Review
Rob Tarana
Dave Wayne
Wondermachine Music
United States
New York
New York City
Ravish Momin
Rick Parker
Tim Berne
Sabir Mateen
Mingus Big Band
Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre
Wu Tang Clan
Shakira
Brian Eno
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Bill Laswell
Nils-Petter Molvaer
Miles Davis
J. A. Deane
Jon Hassell
A Fire Of Flowers Grows Around Us