Published:
January 19, 2016
Illuminating the rich sounds of Addis-Ababa’s azmaris, Mikael Seifu’s music becomes a “dream brew” in which traditional musicians collaborate and contribute vocals and lead voicing from folk instruments such as the Masenko and the Krar.
Zelalem spotlights the music of Ethiopia’s past as well its future. Mikael Seifu illustrates the potential for reinterpreting sacred and proud sources through energized palettes. His latest effort heralds the future of this new music and signals the genesis of Ethiopian Electronic, where the known and unknown commune.
The literal Amharic translation of Zelalem is “eternity,” and through Seifu’s conceptual frame it becomes a “vector of light.” Accompanying the release of Zelalem will be a fifty-minute cassette mix by Seifu compiling native Ethiopian and African folk music, available January 20, 2016 only through RVNG Intl. Zelalem will be available on March 5 on vinyl and digital formats.
Track list:
1. The Protectors
2. The Solipsist
3. Soul Manifest (Mikael Seifu feat. L.A.)
4. How To Save a Life (Vector of Eternity)
5. ዘላለም (Vector of Light)