Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali

Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali
Studio album by
Africa Express
Released24 November 2014
Recorded2013
(Bamako, Mali)
Genres
LabelTransgressive
Damon Albarn solo chronology
Live at the De De De Der
(2014)		 Terry Riley's In C Mali
(2014)		 The Magic Whip
(2015)

Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali is a studio album released by Africa Express, a UK-based non-profit organisation. The album is a recording of Terry Riley's minimalist composition In C, with playing from Malian and Western musicians. It was released through Transgressive Records on 24 November 2014.

Background and music

In C is a classical piece in the style of minimalism, composed by Terry Riley in 1964 for any number of performers[1] though he recommends about 20 to 30 as ideal.[2] The piece begins with a steady pulse played on the note C on a piano or mallet percussion.[3] Then, the performers play a series 53 of short melodic segments, each of which they repeat for as many times as they choose before moving on to the next segment.[3]

This process causes the phrases to overlap and interfere aleatorically, creating complex harmony and rhythms as musicians progress through the 53 segments at different times. Though each performance of In C uses the same sheet music and instructions, each performance is also very different from other interpretations due to instruments used and the latitude given to musicians.[1] The composition was inspired by modal jazz and the repetition found in African music.[4]

There have been many recordings of In C since the first in 1968, but In C Mali is the by African performers and prominently using African instruments.[5] In C Mali was first initiated by the German conductor André de Ridder.[6] It was recorded in Bamako, Mali, in 2013.[6] The album was released in 2014, the fiftieth anniversary of In C's composition.[7] It was released physically via Transgressive Records in 2015.[8] Africa Express' rendition runs for 41 minutes.[3] It keeps the same key elements of the original, but adds extra details, for example, flutes, strings, and a spoken word soliloquy (during which, the pulse stops).[9] 17 musicians play on the album, consisting of both Malian and Western musicians (including Damon Albarn, Nick Zinner, and Brian Eno).[10] The pulse is played on the balafon.[11] Ridder served as the conductor.[3]

Reception

Paul Mardles of The Guardian gave the album four out of five stars, and praised the "new details" that give the recording its charm.[12] Joe Tangari of Pitchfork rated the album 8.1 out of 10 points, praising its distinction from other In C recordings, and the ensemble's "dynamic interplay".[3] The album received three-and-a-half out of five stars from Andy Beta of Rolling Stone.[4] Mark Kidel of The Arts Desk gave the recording a perfect score, and wrote it may be the most "exciting version" of In C.[11]

Personnel

Adapted from Tangari 2015.

References

Citations

Sources

  • Beta, Andy (26 January 2015). "Africa Express 'Presents...Terry Riley's In C Mali' Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  • Clark, Philip (June 2015). "Riley In C". Gramophone. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  • Fact writers (26 January 2015). "Watch Damon Albarn and Brian Eno's 40-minute tribute to Terry Riley's 'In C' with Africa Express". Fact Magazine. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  • Kidel, Mark (21 January 2015). "CD: Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C". The Arts Desk. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  • Mardles, Paul (7 December 2014). "Africa Express Presents… Terry Riley's In C Mali review – conceptual masterpiece gets a charming update". The Observer. The Guardian. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
  • Tangari, Joe (6 February 2015). "Africa Express: Africa Express Presents... Terry Riley's In C Mali". Pitchfork. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
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