Babau - Papalagi

Babau - Papalagi

Verdict: 4/5
Label

Artetetra

CATALOG NO

ATA04

RELEASE DATE

February 28, 2015

Written By

Andrei Crăciun

Published

August 6, 2017

The other days I received a very nice gift consisting of a plastic box with a couple of transparent purple tapes inside, coming from a very good Italian record label, Artetetra, whom I discovered one year ago through a Kink Gong release. The label has put out so far 11 tapes and each of them carries a very distinct sound, intriguing and difficult to categorize. Musically, the label interrogates different worlds and has a very wide music approach, which leads to an overall feel of transparency and honesty in the nowadays contemporary music.

Babau is just one of the projects featured on the label´s catalogue. They are based in Bologne, Italy, but they could be from anywhere, since their music is a highly inspired mélange of different worlds and influences. It sounds equally experimental, ethnic, and transports the listener into a trance-like feel.

The tape includes four tracks and evokes an overall beautiful story, involving several large themes that can be found in our human nature, from the psychedelic nostalgia of Ila 'no kuaili to the exotic atmosphere of Palo Majombe, from the hypnotic drums of Faus to the closing splendid ambient piece Palma Hayek, referring to a David Letterman interview of Salma Hayek.

Babau deals with a variety of themes, rhythms and harmonies borrowed from different etnies to which the duo doesn't belong to. It is a daring paradoxical experiment in trying to find an own path while not identify with it, but pushing the creativity further and not paying attention to rules. For any fanatics like us, craving for deep listening sessions which address intimate and introspective thoughts, don´t miss this.

Tracklist:

A1. Palo Majombe
A2. Faus
A3. Ila 'no Kuaili
A4. Palma Hayek