Wednesday 31 May 2017

Albums: Carlos Casas - Pyramid of Skulls / Yuri Morozov - Strange Angels


After Skullscapes, coincidentally (or subconsciously not) comes this, a Pyramid of Skulls by Carlos Casa. It may be inspired by the the people of Pamir in Tajikistan but the second track, Triune God , feels very much like a trip through the Interzone with Bryon Gysin and William Burroughs as your guides. This blurs boundaries between time and place in a similar way to Burroughs' use of cut-ups as portals to both the past, present and future. Here, 'ancient' music becomes lost in/transformed by modern interference. Elsewhere, the traditional is pretty much left to stand on it's own merits with minimal alteration, or at least, alteration that is so subtle as to be barely discernible. More here.



Sounding as if he's out of his skull on something, a selection of Yuri Morozov's 70s output is represented on this Buried Treasure compilation, Strange Angels. Trapped behind the Iron Curtain as he was, like many others in the same situation confinement must have fostered freedom of imagination to compensate and it's here in abundance in the form of electronics, tape manipulation, samples and song. It's a phantasmagorical trip. He recorded over 46 albums in various styles, cassettes passed around in sonic samizdat fashion to prove that communism could not crush the creative spirit. Inexplicable (pt4) sounds like a take from Miles Davis' Jack Johnson sessions but Morozov was not one for genre limitations and the following Violet Vibrations unleashes dancing electrons which are both joyous and insane. He sounds positively possessed on some vocal cuts whilst elsewhere, such as on Sadly All, almost settles into 'normal' Jazz Fusion style. This kaleidoscope of crazed invention is hugely entertaining.



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