Hanuman Sextet
Confusing the Devil
Rent Control Records, Rcrcd0011
Andy Haas- shofar, raita, sax, elctronics
Don Fiorino- banjo, lotar, etc.
Mia Theodoratus- electric harp
Matt Heyner- bass
David Gould- drums
Dee Pop- perc.
Free improve from the Downtown NYC
scene. Several things here are different
from any freeprov material I’ve heard before. Haas plays the shofar (ram’s
horn)
and the raita (Moroccan oboe). Fiorino plays the lotar (Moroccan lute). All of
this
adds new and intriguing horn colors to any improve music I’ve heard before.
But
it’s Theodoratus’ electric harp more than anything that stamps the sound of
this band
on the memory. It sometimes sounds like a strange variation on that
stereotypical
harp music used on tv shows to cue a flashback. That, and a half-dozen other
things
you wouldn’t expect out of a harp, electric or not. It fits hand-in-glove with
the band’s swirling, almost chaotic semi-noise. Post-tribal, very hypnotic but
pre-mental breakdown, this is music
that renders listener psychoactive plant use redundant. Recommended for the
tense and adventurous.
Rent Control Records
263 First Ave. #3
NY, NY 10003
<rentcontrolrecords.com>
Richard Grooms