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review by Dene Bebbington Old world meets the new in this intriguing release juxtaposing drum 'n' bass beats and grooves with the Japanese bamboo flute known as a Shakuhachi. Australian duo Kristian Hill and Robert Staines (otherwise known as Small Defence) have joined musical forces with Riley Lee who is a grand master of the Shakuhachi. The result is a musical experience that crosses over genres such as new age, world, and even dance/techno; an unlikely combination on paper but one which works well. Melody and rhythm are the order of the day on most of Bamboo Soup, there are fairly nine short length tracks (the longest is less than seven minutes) about half of which are upbeat and lively with the rest having more easygoing or contemplative moods. A prime example of the former is the piece "Golden Buddha" where a percussive beat is layered with jazz like melodies played out on keyboards and the bamboo flute. One track I particularly like because of its melodic content is "Piece for Orchestra", this is a mid-tempo piece with a nice rhythm and guitar strumming over which are heard flutey variations on a core melody. I should point out that on one track, "It's a Running Bamboo" (a title which can conjure up some funny images!), there are some vocals. This is a whimsical piece with the Shakuhachi sound fluttering around with other sounds and beats, and occasionally a childlike voice in the background. For me the Shakuhachi produces a sound that can be too reedy and harsh at times, but its strength is in the range of tones it can create. On the laid back last track "No One Sleeps" its got a comforting softness that made me imagine being rocked to sleep by the gentle instrumentation which includes acoustic guitar. Bamboo Soup is a pretty good and accessible new age/world album demonstrating that old traditional instruments from other cultures can play a valuable role in modern music. |
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