I admit ignorance to the details of the story of the Tower of Babel. That is until recently when I was compelled to read it again a bit more thoroughly. It started because of one of the comics I am currently reading: Testament. This comic is the old testament retold from a parallel story that is undergoing in the present, making the associations to the events related in the old statement as appropriate. With this month’s issue they finish a four-issue arch story (13-16) titled Babel.
The story is quite unique, and I found out, again admitting my ignorance, that the story is part of many religions (at least metaphorically) about the significance and the intent of the tower of Babel. To my fellow ignorants the story is basically that humanity guided by Nimrod united under one language (likely a metaphor) start building a gigantic tower that would reach the heavens to fight with the gods in their environment. Presumably God fearing of the power of a united humanity comes down and confuses the builders by changing their languages so they couldn’t communicate to each other. Then He separates them onto different places in the earth. It is implied that this is the beginning of ethnicities and the such. Thus the tower efforts ceased ultimately causing the destruction of the tower.
If you think the story in itself is interesting I invite you to read the comic version of it as told in Testament. It is certainly unique and the comic medium is perfect to reflect the story of the Gods in heaven and the humans on earth. The story is told as originally “recorded” and in the new current storyline. Though the arch story cotains information that is revealed in previous issues, it is not detrimental to the Babel history itsef.
I acquired their debut album, and only one so far, called Berlin Serengeti. The style is a bit hard to describe, but it is like a jazzy-electornica-funk-hip-hop (don’t dismiss the latin - mostly Samba - influence also). I found it at emusic - can’t remember quite how. The more I listened to it, for about three months now, the more I like it.
The first song “The Hop” is great, you’ll find yourself moving your head to the beat very quickly. Great intro, the singer’s (Bajka) voice is perfect for the music. She has a voice that reminds me of Macy Gray’s roughness. The background sample is very cool with interesting details that repeats somewhat throughout the album. The second track “Mondlicht” has a great base that sets the mood for the song, the trumpet and the sax are brilliant throughout, but what shines in my mind are the drums, they are so subtle you got to pay attention, headphones are a must for this song, otherwise you’ll miss it. I think it is my favorite track of the album. Next “Everything” again featuring Bajka is good in the same way as “The Hop” is. The following two tracks “Night Part I” and “Night Part II” do a good job transitioning the focus of the different instruments throughout the tracks. The music gets more intense as it traverses the track, the second part is better than the first- just listen to the horns. Nothing extraordinary happens until the flute solo (with middle eastern sound to it) in “Roads” - track 9. Given the title of the song, the middle eastern and the sadness of the solo, all the images that pass through my head were of Iraq - too much NPR I guess. The piano and the base on track 11 “Black forest” are phenomenal. Can’t quite figure out “Dust” lyrics on track 13 featuring Gaelle.
I was reading the most recent Filter magazine and there is an article that talks about the Bristol musical movement that started in the 80s with bands like Portishead, Massive Attack, and the such. It is amazing how these bands have put out so few records given the long time they’ve been around. It’s like one record every 5 to 8 years… shit!… Take Massive Attack for example, they’ve released: Blue Lines (’91), Protection (’94), Mezzanine (’98), 100th Window (2003). They’ve also released Danny the Dog: Unleashed in 2004 but that is a soundtrack, so the creative process is not quite the same, so I won’t count it. They are scheduled to release their fifth album “sometime” in 2007. That is 5 studio albums in 16 years, much less than you average musician/band.
Having said that, wouldn’t you agree that if the albums are going to be this good, it is ok to wait? I mean how many times we buy an album from a band we like, and we rush to acquire the next one (two years later), only to find out , with rare exceptions, that the new album sucks big time?. It certainly has happened to me many times.
I recently was listening again to Poe’s second (and latest) album Haunted. This album was released in 2000. I mean 7 years! without a new album. Haunted is an incredible album, even though I am not much into Pop (I guess some people doesn’t consider Poe’s as a pop artist), this one is great. If only Pop were this good. Poe released her first album, Hello, in ‘95, which was also very good. She’s released two album in 12 years!.
Of course this doesn’t guarantee the album is going to be any good. For example, David Gilmour’s last album, On An Island, is a somniphere; I mean give me a break, you can’t be that talented and put out such a boring album. Another one was the latest album from The Who, after I don’t know how long, they released a disaster of an album.
Hace como dos meses mientras averiguaba un poco acerca de KP9000 me tope con una canción de ellos que está en el disco Simon Diaz Remixes. La versión de la canción sonaba lo suficientemente interesante como para escuchar el disco entero. Tres semanas mas tarde, disco en mano, o en player, puedo hablar del disco entero.
Mis padres me trajeron el disco de Venezuela, y uds se preguntarán porque es esto importante, sÃmplemente porque en mi familia los gustos por la música son bastante conservadores, entonces comprenderán que sus comentarios acerca de versiones de Simon Diaz en música electrónica no iban a ser muy positivas. Con todo esto en mente, comence a escuchar el disco.
