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Folk Roots Magazine Nr. 386; Aug / Sept 2015 The essential worldwide folk, roots & world music guide PO Box 3072, Bristol BS8 9GF, England http://www.frootsmag.com

HINDI ZAHRA Homeland Warner Jazz B00U0RATR2 Homeland, the second studio album from Franco-Moroccan musician Hindi Zahra, takes listeners on what sounds like a deeply person- al journey through a rich musical heritage. The record effortlessly blends laid-back European vibes recalling the likes of Air and Portishead, with the melodic traditions of North Africa Hindi Zahra and France along with elements taken from the worlds of jazz, folk and electronica. (shawms), schwegel (a transverse flute) and will surely embarrass fellow-collaborator (and The great thing is though, that unlike so trümpi (Jew’s harp). Less obscure instrumen- then boyfriend) Richard Thompson; a pair of many other records which try to self-con- tation includes drehleier (hurdy-gurdy), vio- hitherto unreleased Fairport demos; obscure sciously fuse musical styles, Homeland does it lin, viola, viola d’amore, double bass, bass GG&F tapes; an appearance on Gerry Fitzger- all with a coolness and composition that clarinet and saxophone. Felicia Kraft sings. ald’s Mouseproof LP; some unreleased ’70s speaks of great musical wisdom. Percussion is especially well deployed, for demos; and two early-’80s curiosities made From the brooding desert blues of open- example, on tick-tock Tanz Der Nachtgestal- with Adrian Wagner (a cover of See Emily ing track To The Forces to the café jazz ten (Dance Of The Night Figures/Forms). Play and a somewhat optimistic advert for an sounds of Un Jour the record explores its own This octet’s take on folk music is a combi- “amazing” brand of tape!). Disc Two charts history in a way that never feels forced. Strong nation of original tradition-based material, Judy’s trio of ‘comeback’ albums from the vocals, instrumentation and songwriting historical manuscript research, art music with noughties involving Marc Swordfish carry the record throughout. It’s where all baroque flavourings and traditional ele- (Enchanted Garden, Spindle and The Whorl), these styles come together though, and Hindi ments. Much as Munich’s Fraunhofer Saiten- then sundry unreleased gems from collabora- Zahra crafts her own unique soundscape, that musik similarly swung from similarly deli- tive projects with an impressive range of the album really does shine. Dreams is the ciously blurry folk and baroque lianas, much musicians; rarity-status single and vinyl cuts; best example of what Hindi Zahra can do, of Tritonus’ music is predicated on dance. and the punk-supercharged 2008 hit revisit of and is definitely the song that will define Theirs, though, is emphatically Swiss. The One Sure Thing with The Conspirators. Disc summer 2015 for me. opening statement, Zur Blawen Entten (At Three, subtitled Onwards, covers the past five fruitful years: 2009’s Talking With Strangers Overall Homeland is an excellent album The Blue Duck – a Zurich inn name), for exam- album and its bonus tracks, 2013’s Flow And and Hindi Zahra a real emerging talent on ple, is a zwiefacher, a dance switching Change, further intriguing experimental col- the world music scene, one to watch. between three/four and two/four time. Tri- tonus’ Urbanus opus is a 24-track master- laborations with the likes of Füxa, Sleepyard www.hindi-zahra.com piece. A worthy successor to the magnificent, and Sand Snowman; three recent – and seri- Liam Thompson genre-spanning Fraunhofer Saitenmusik. ously charming – new recordings with Alistair Main notes in German, French, English and Murphy at the helm, including the gorgeous Italian. Detailed track information and lyrics Take Me Dancing and a swinging duet featur- TRITONUS in German only. ing ex-Trader Horne partner Jackie McAuley; and finally, bringing Judy’s career almost full www.tritonus.ch Urbanus Zytglogge ZYT 4966 circle, sparkling 2014 live recordings of Jenny Ken Hunt May and the number that for many fans Despite a family tree stretching back to the started it all, If I Had A Ribbon Bow. mid-1970s, to my shame neither hide nor hair of Tritonus ever previously registered. Origi- JUDY DYBLE Gathering The Threads is an object lesson nally founded in Ostschweiz (literally, eastern in packaging too: its supremely attractive de- Switzerland but also a geopolitical collective Gathering The Threads Starcrazy SC001-003 sign, and informative (and frank) booklet notes of cantons), this Tritonus has nothing to do (penned by Judy herself), precisely comple- with the West German prog rock group of Proud possessor of one of the most genuinely ment the vital music within. Truly magnificent. the 1970s. Aside, that is, from both referenc- unmistakable voices in folk-rock, Judy was www.judydyble.com ’s first lead singer back in ing the German-language musical term ‘tri- David Kidman tonus’ (tritone) – otherwise known as ‘diabo- the late-’60s, before moving on to Giles, Giles lus in musica’ in Latin; or ‘the Devil’s interval’ & Fripp and Trader Horne, and barely two in English. One early trio incarnation was years after the breakup of the latter took what PETER KNIGHT’S named Tritonus Diabolus. became nearly a quarter-century’s sabbatical With the exception of hackbrett (ham- from musical pursuits until one of those ‘right GIGSPANNER place, right time’ occasions (1997’s Cropredy) mered dulcimer) player Michaela Walder Layers Of Ages Gigspanner GSCD003 (who joined in 2011), the current core line-up persuaded her that she could still sing! Judy’s of Felicia Kraft, Urs Klauser, Daniel Som, Lea increased confidence thenceforth has ensured Peter Knight’s ambitions always extended Zanola, Andreas Cincera, Andrea Brunner that the past decade or so has been filled with beyond the day job and now he’s freed him- and Andreas Ambühl has been together for numerous, often surprising musical collabora- self from that particular long-term engage- two or so decades. It tells in their layered tions, and a series of solo albums of remark- ment he is starting to unfurl his colours. In instrumental arrangements. Tritonus sing and able quality and imagination. this, Gigspanner’s third recording, Mr Knight tell their tales – where words are involved, Here, then, is a life-spanning three-disc delves straight back into tradition, something sung in Schwizerdütsch (Swiss German) – and, retrospective that also cannily looks forward. you might have expected him to have side- on Urbanus, in their use of the unifying nar- Unprepossessingly subtitled Fifty Years Of lined in favour of his own compositions, and rative device of a town’s nightwatchman on Stuff, it’s been lovingly and fastidiously com- he shows a willingness to turn the expected his rounds. At their disposal they have a piled (and released) by Judy herself. It’s inside out and to place it back as neat as it sound palette of Swiss folk, art music and jazz arranged strictly chronologically: Disc One was before being taken. She Moves Through instruments. The traditional Swiss ones have (The Early Years) takes in the (long pre-Fair- The Fair is fair game, multiple gentle versions names, some in regional dialect, like hüm- port) Judy & The Folkmen; a sequence of have reinforced the idea of a dead love come melchen (bagpipe), chalumeau and schalmei weird teenage improvisational noodling that back, but eight-plus minutes of hypnotic