Stephan Micus: Life

Whatever you may argue about music needing context in order to be properly appreciated, Life really requires some study of Micus' background and master plan. It's based around a koan (a Zen Buddhist riddle) about the essence of life, and rather than defeat that story by reductionist logic, I'll just refer you to the informative liner notes for the complete picture. The koan unfolds in ten parts, each performed by Micus alone on up to 20 overdubbed instruments (including most frequently, by number anyway, his own warm but otherwise neutral voice, which closes the suite in solitude). Each part has its own signature sound and texture, and that's important in conveying the emotional overtones appropriate to the ongoing stages in the koan's development.

One has to wonder what sort of meditation was required for Micus to put this recording together over the course of four years in his studio on Mallorca. Among the bagana (Ethiopian lyre), gongs, sho (Japanese "mouth organ"), nay (Egyptian reed flute), dondon (Ghanaian "talking drum"), and so forth he constructs discrete layers that progress very gradually and deliberately. Smooth, flowing melodies are the norm, and percussion is used as a way of coloring the music rather than marking time.

Listeners who fear the sort of glacial, self-referential displays of torpitude that characterize the global New Age movement will find Life a refreshing contrast. It's meditative but not somnolent, questioning without obtuseness, and deeply respectful of the tonal colors of the sound spectrum. Not for everyone, that's for sure, but I for one learned from listening and considering the messages this record conveys.

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