The album is finished. It is not mastered yet but I finally drew up 13 different tracks that hopefully fit together pretty well. The album won t come out before October 2010 but the last days I have posted extracts of all 13 tracks to give you a better overview of the result. Furthermore you can listen to some extracts of the original field recordings I used for the tracks. And finally: Don t miss the videos of the Kenyan recording sessions, Agnieszka did on our journey into the sound of Kenya.
We are happy about any comments on the tracks.
Best wishes
Sven & Agnieszka
Track No 7: Lamu Flute Player Flute Player Extract
Fieldrecordings: Flute Player From Lamu Lamu Soundscape
Track No 8: Singers From Kwale Kwale Singers Extract
Fieldrecordings: A Cappella Choir Solo Singer
Track No 12: Mwatela & Mbui Mwatela & Mbui Extract
Fieldrecordings: Vocal Take Shaker Take Village Soundscape
There is no video of the recording session yet. But you can watch a video Agnieszka did of the traditional schnapps ceremony right before the session started.
Track No 13: Takaye Preaching Takaye Preacher Extraxt
Fieldrecordings: Divine Service
This is an idea for the last track of the album. The track is based on a field recording I did on a hot Sunday in Takaye Village, just a stone ´s throw away from the Centre of Malindi. Early in the morning I had the chance to join a divine service. I got in touch with a small church community about 15 people. The preacher preached himself into a rage. Thank god that I had my MD-Player and the okm-mics with me…..
This is a first try based on the great Kayamba Recordings we did in Kwale. Don t miss the video of the recording session. It s amazing to see how 8 people play the Kayamba in unison.
Here comes a new video about the recordings we did on march 25th in Matondoni, this small island close to Lamu.
The music of the traditional Kaswida group was so different from everything else, we had seen the days before.
At least ten male singers of three different generations sang a fiew melodies over and over while the rhythm group played and hammered continuously a very monoton and ruminant beat.
The slow and coordinated movements of the old men and young boys were graceful and full of inner fragility. A lot of children were playing around us and the veiled women regarded the dance from the background. While we sweat at 35 °C. Listen to the version, Sven created based on the Matondoni Recordings.
And here is the corresponding video track:
This is a new version of the Lamu- flute track. I recorded some kind of solo handdrums in the middle part of the song. Though the track sounds different from the extracts I have already posted, I hope, that you gonna like it. Lamu 2nd version
On march 22nd I recorded a flute player in Lamu. Last week I played some simple beats on two different tamobourin drums, which I bought in Kenya, on top of the original recordings.
Yesterday I added a soft brush pattern and two other percussive elements.
This is a first extract: Lamu
On march 22nd Mbui and Mbutch invited us to meet their great band in a small village very close to Malindi. First we had to drink a glass of self made coconut schnapps (video)
Then Mbui, his father Mwatela and up to ten other musicians played many great tunes for us. We stayed there until night. After some more glasses of coconut schnapps we set out through the incredibly black night back for Takaye Village.
Here is a first Track idea based on the recordings we did on march 22nd. Sengenya Music
