Music Reviews

“karnak”

Karnak

Karnak

Tinder

This band has some pretty high praise to live up to. Fortunately, they easily come up to the task, arriving with a sound so global that it defies dissection into its components. Mixing just about every ethnic musical sound you can think of this is music that removes all borders of sound.

Karnak, a Brazilian ensemble led by André Abujambra, easily produces moments like “Comendo Uva Na Chuva,” which mixes a quick dub beat with a simulated Tibetan chanting (a voice run through a ring modulator), complex vocal harmonies, a high and lonesome violin in the background, more. You’d think that such using so many instruments with so much abandon would yield staticky mush, but then, you probably haven’t heard this. Karnak have not only come up with a sound of their own, but a sound that nobody else can even imitate. “Unique” comes short. Tinder Records, 619 Martin Ave., Unit 1, Rohnert Park, CA 94928; http://worldmusic.com/tinder


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