Joseph Tawadros: World Music
While we’ve skipped a couple continents this year, it’s been a while since we’ve done a full-fledged around the globe trip and what better time for a music-filled journey than mid-summer. We’ll start our journey in Australia checking in on the latest from Joseph Tawadros. The oud master’s new album is called, appropriately enough, World Music and when you finish digesting the 29 excellent genre-free ethno-engorged tracks you realize it could have no other name. Tawadros is joined by his brother and between the two of them they impressively play every one of the 60+ instruments.
Klaus Johann Grobe: Spagat der Leibe
Once you’re done digesting that one, let’s hop an intercontinental flight to Zurich, Switzerland and the newest from duo Klaus Johann Grobe. Their second album is Spagat der Liebe, out on Trouble In Mind and is a wonderful daydreamer’s disco. Synthesizer/keyboards and drums are all that’s required for a sound palette that’s somehow both minimalist and maximalist. It’s funky-meets-psychedelic and several points in between.
Imarhan: Imarhan
Next stop on our journey is southern Algeria. The Saharan desert and its Tuareg musics have been a source of an almost endless stream of fantastic, hypnotic music. Highlighting a new generation is Imarhan who mutate and evolve the beloved desert blues with a funkier, updated sound, without losing the spirit and culture of the music’s source. I feel like I’ve listened and rec’d a lot of great music in this genre, but Imarhan’s self-titled release may be the best in a long while. Enjoy!
Hijo De La Tormenta: El Manto de la Especia
We’ll finish our whirlwind worldwide journey on our fourth continent of the trip, settling down in Cordoba, Argentina. Here we find hard-hitting trio Hijo De La Tormenta whose sophomore album, El Manto de la Especia came out of nowhere to give me a good side-of-the-head wallop. There have been some tasty psych-rockers coming out of South America the last couple of years, but these guys add a certain hard-rock punch. The studio mix is incredibly drum-heavy which seems to help put the “power” in power trio. With tracks as short as two minutes and as long as 12, Hijo De La Tormenta get it done both ways. Give it a try!
