Lukas Ligeti & Beta Foly
Lukas Ligeti & Beta Foly
(Intuition/Allegro)
Most world music cross-hybridizations result in amorphous new age sludge. This Ivory Coast-Austrian car crash clashes uneasily like sawdust in breakfast batter. Mastermind/drummer Ligeti’s idea of a punk/heavy metal beat is a lightly sped-up 4/4, and no raver will hear the techno/house vibe in “African Loops” that he does. But the man makes fucking around his primary principle. Using avant-garde techniques of encouraging improvisations, he forces his group, Beta Foly, into uncomfortably jarring meter shifts and gauges their reactions to Henry Kaiser guitar runs, samples of other songs and, what the hell, chaotic Korean rhythms. Amazingly, the musicians respond to each challenge with alert dexterity and enthusiastic energy in what ultimately sounds like the freest jazz in years. Even Babagale Kante’s flute, which sounds too World’s Fair at first, gets honking so much that it resembles a human voice at one point. And for that authentic Western touch, it ends with a twelve minute freak-out/medley just like on obscure psych albums over here. Think most African music is too rhythm driven and calming? Find the melodies of continental Europe too folky and throw-backish? Then get this, motherfucker!
Kevin John |
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