Abstract Index Playlist - Sept 19/07

The most on-point lautari band of them all, Tarf De Haidouks first recorded for the always-adventurous Crammed Discs in 1993. Their technical agility leavened with a bit of skronk, their impassioned singing and their sense of adventure has always been a hallmark. Last year's live disc The Continuing Adventures Of Taraf De Haidouks had all that and then some. I suppose somebody within or around the group asked the question "what's next?" as an artistic challenge.

Maskarada takes on the orientalization tactics of European classical composers, and "re-gypsyfies" them. It's an intriguing intellectual concept, but the execution is lacking. The band sounds oddly restrained until the inevitable "go time" as a piece climaxes. Some composers, such as Bela Bartok and Aram Khachaturian fare better due to their individual styles meshing better with the dense Taraf sound. Other tracks are unbearable, and represent the worst kind of musical in-joke. Bottom line is, they can't, or don't like, to play it 'straight' - right down to some cringe- inducing intonation.

Maskarada is mostly unsuccessful - however with a few kickass tracks. It's got to be difficult to adapt to new artistic challenges when you're a dozen or more players with distinctive instrumentation like cymbalom and accordion, but this experiment didn't really work out. Personally I think they should consider slowing down the pace and putting something out on Constellation.



Taraf De Haidouks Myspace feat. "Ostinato And Romanian Dance"

if you don't work, you can't eat - bobby byrd (king)
i'm a free man - freddie mckay (studio one)
soul of a village pt 2 - joe zawinul (atlantic)
taming the shrew - skerik's syncopated taint septet (hyena)
kidnapped - roy nathanson (aum fidelity)
ostinato and romanian dance - taraf de haidouks (crammed)
sebo psoriatic psongs - gypsy dance (independent)
celebrating new - torngat (alien 8)
ca la breaza - toni iordache (asphalt tango) check the YouTube clip!
once through - steve lantner trio (riti)
1/4 d'heure de culture metaphysique - sao paris (f communications)
flight in dub (dj cil mix) - love trio feat. u roy (nublu)
hera ma nono - extra golden (thrill jockey)
shut me mouth - ranking dread (greensleeves)
we're in this love together - dreamband feat. hermina george (independent)
dis ya a dub - bullwackies all stars (wackies)
i'm not crazy - don carlos/sinbad (greensleeves)
deception - ticklah feat. vinia mojica (easy star)
crash and dub - echo (inthachamber)