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Master Musicians of Bukkake: The Visible Sign of the Invisible Order/Totem Two
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Important Records (IMPREC296/IMPREC301)
  Formed by musicians from Seattle, Master Musicians of Bukkake is a collective playing really weird, dark, at times even scary, ethnic and psychedelic ritual music that has lots of exotic ingredients from folk music of Southeast Asia. Personally, I was introduced to the band by their second album Totem Two and I’m really glad that I ordered that particular piece of vinyl since it blew my mind. The Visible Sign of the Invisible Order is the band’s first album originally released in 2005 on Abduction Records just on CD. The album is now sold-out, so that’s one more very good reason for releasing this double vinyl version. I hadn’t even heard the album before, but it includes shamanistic and rather minimal psych folk that is more acoustic in nature than their later output. Some of the album was recorded in the woods to get an authentic atmosphere. There are a lot of musicians involved and of course also lots of different instruments were used. The recordings were manipulated quite a lot in the mixing phase and there are also some samples in there. The original CD had 15 tracks many of which were just one to three-minute-long, but there are also a few longer numbers. The most effective are the nine-minute-long, very percussive and tribal-sounding ”Access of Evil”, the hypnotic ”Hidden from the Hidden Ones” and the mystical, long and drone-like ”Circular and Made of the Earth” that ends the original album in a bit more positive mood. This new double vinyl edition includes one side’s worth of previously unreleased material from the same jam sessions. ”Babi Guling” (that is a famous pork dish from Bali, by the way) is a laid-back and beautiful track with mostly acoustic guitar and samples and I do enjoy it very much. ”Turning to Face the Sun” is a wilder and faster, inciteful and ecstatic number. This re-release is worth getting just for these tracks alone and the new cover art looks really cool too. 300 copies on clear vinyl.
The recent album Totem Two is perhaps the band’s best so far, I think. In addition to the seven band members it features six guests including several people from Turkey. All the sounds on this album were specifically recorded for it and there are no samples. First 300 copies are on red vinyl. ”Bardo Chonyid/Master of All Visible Shapes” begins the album with a very mystical, laid-back and primordial drone that lasts for almost 12 minutes. Actually the track overrides the normal concepts of time and space, though… This is extremely effective and mesmerizing stuff! Based on a classic Turkish theme, ”Perde Kaldirma” also includes rhythm and more melody but is a very peaceful and magical number with ethnic spices. Some of its tracks were recorded in Istanbul. ”The Heresy of Origen” is a keyboard-driven, slow, dark and gloomy track that I like really much too. I guess it includes for example pipe organ and harmonium. Also the beautiful and melancholic ”Coincidental Oppositorium” continues in a tranquil way and without percussion. ”The Crystal Reformation” is a bit more cacophonic drone that also has some guitar feedback and jingling. The album is finished with the long, hypnotic, deep and marvelous “Patmos” that also has a bit of vocals, excellent, soft lead guitar and solo synth work as well as a slow drum beat. Now, at the latest, the listener is being transported into some strange, otherworldly, psychedelic place… This is an amazing ending for this excellent album! I just can’t wait for the third part of the triptych…
www.myspace.com/mastermusiciansofbukkake |
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