Review:

on 2011-04-11 Michael_Morrison Said:

The 2009 double offering from Drum Dynasty arrived in the post just the other day and on first look at the cover I was intrigued to hear what kind of sonic treat was in store. The set is divided neatly into two separate disks, the first entitled Mystic Sunrise running for 57mins and the second disk Dark Continent for 39 minutes. The music is a meeting of minds, those minds being Bruce Burgess on drums, percussionists Marco Zonka and Arturo Rodriguez, together with Kevin Christensen who provides the melodic soundscapes to the rhythms.

The first pieces on disc one Mystic Sunrise are very dramatic and a lot of work has gone into these arrangements. The fusion of the drums and various percussion instruments is very cleverly worked out so that the intricate rhythms are assembled in layers. It takes incredible talent and insight to be able to put together tracks like these and as a very accomplished drummer Burgess takers this in his stride. One of the things that concerned me about this CD was how accessible it would be to the average listener. If music is too technical, it can create barriers between the music and the listener, but this is certainly not the case with this disc. The atmospheric sustained keyboards however have a soporific effect and at the points where the rhythms become trippy, I found myself drifting into a trance-like state of relaxation. Certainly not what I was expecting.

By comparison, the second disc Dark Continent felt like it lacked direction. Although some of the flavours here are built on signature African sounds it does not feel African at all. Promising pieces like Khodomodumo would have offered more authenticity towards Africa, had they been developed further. Sadly this piece faded out all too quickly, giving way to Rainmaker which sounded like it belonged to South America more than the plains of Africa, and it wasnt until the very last track that I started to think Yes, now were in Africa! The African continent has a massively diverse range of styles of music and percussion and there is a breadth of difference between the North African styles and the melodies, harmonies and iconography of South Africa so it is a real shame that Drum Dynasty didnt explore this more extensively. Compare the sounds on Paul Simons Graceland album with the No Quarter album from Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, and I think you will know what I mean.

Now and again, the fusion just doesnt quite work out. Tracks like Kazi, Sandstorm and Dajari for example seem somewhat imbalanced as though the western drums are very much secondary and at worse unnecessary. The eastern instruments seem to shine through, yet the pad string sounds are too dated as they try and smooth out the floor of the recording. Ironically this is also what creates the atmospheric dreamlike quality  which helps make the listener relax!

The musicians sometime get the blend and balance spot on, particularly with tracks like Mystic Sunrise and Damsels of Brindiban

Despite the negative points Ive raised, this is still a very impressive release by Drum Dynasty. Only my own opinion of course, but perhaps a lengthy single disc amalgamation, using the best tracks from each, would have helped secure this albums status. Some of the tracks are truly outstanding, and others are simply just ok. Given that the musicians are all clearly exceptionally talented, it seems that the problems are caused by their decisions on what to keep in and what to discard. Given their attempt at the scope and grandeur of this project, it also poses the question, what next for Drum Dynasty? They certainly have their work cut out to top this!

Neil Thomas
United Kingdon
Rating: 9/10