Africa Express Presents…Terry Riley’s In C Mali cover

Africa Express Presents…Terry Riley’s In C Mali

Composer
Released

Tery Riley’s In C is a series of melodic fragments in the titular key to be repeated at will by the individual players in a large ensemble. This version, recorded in Bamako and Berlin, features balafons, baritone-guitar, calabash, djembe, flutes, guitars, imzad, kalimbas, kamel n’goni, koras, melodica, violin and vocals among many other instruments and must certainly rank among the most instantly appealing of versions. It’s no surprise, maybe, that the West African players — being well versed in complex and open ended rhythmic interplay — take Riley’s intent and run with it, but that instant, fun, modern-sounding groove is startling nonetheless. Big names like Brian Eno, Nick Zinner of Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Africa Express dynamo Damon Albarn contribute but their egos never intrude. It builds steadily over the first third or so, then for the rest of the 40 minutes just flows like a bubbling river in spring. It sounds better the louder you play it, and if there’s a club DJ brave enough to play the full thing they could reap huge rewards.

Joe Muggs

Suggestions
Empathy cover

Empathy

Cybotron
The Observer cover

The Observer

Mecca Normal
Ice Cream for Crow cover

Ice Cream for Crow

Captain Beefheart & the Magic Band
Donnacha Dennehy: Grá agus Bás cover

Donnacha Dennehy: Grá agus Bás

Alan Pierson, Crash Ensemble, Dawn Upshaw, Iarla Ó Lionáird
Agharta cover

Agharta

Miles Davis
The Third Decade cover

The Third Decade

Art Ensemble of Chicago
Imaginary Archipelago cover

Imaginary Archipelago

Hamid Drake, Adam Rudolph, Ralph Jones, Karuna Trio, The Karuna Trio
Mother cover

Mother

Xylouris White