#michael coltun

[asmallexperiment]

It's only early May and I've hardly spent any time with the record at all, but there's got to be a 50/50 chance that Funeral for Justice will be my album of the year. "Imouhar" is my favorite track on the album so far, but I am looking forward to spending enough time with the rest of them to have a stronger opinion about this soon.

Mahamadou is obviously the star of the show, but the four of them are just unreal. Every track is a jam that feels good and laid back, yet is insanely intense.

Mdou Moctar - Imouhar (Official Music Video)

Imouhar is the Tuareg equivalent to “brother” or “comrade.” It’s a familial way to say “Tuareg people” that expresses a shared bond. 

Taken from Mdou Moctar’s upcoming album ‘Funeral for Justice’ out on Matador Records, May 3, 2024

[nofatclips]

Nak Deranine by Etran de L'Aïr from the album Agadez

[thebowerypresents]

Mdou Moctar – Music Hall of Williamsburg – September 10, 2021

Playing in support of his terrific Matador Records release earlier this year, Afrique Victime, and following in the rich tradition of Tuareg music acts like Tinariwen and Bombino, singer-songwriter and guitarist Mdou Moctar and his three-piece backing band filled a sold-out Music Hall of Williamsburg with a winning combination of rock and desert blues on Friday night.

Photos courtesy of Silvia Saponaro | saponarophotography.com

@silvialovesmusic

[nofoodjustwax]

Curt Sydnor - The Consort

Curt Sydnor – The Consort

[affairesasuivre]

Ilana : The Creator par Mdou Moctar

Mdou Moctar immediately stands out as one of the most innovative artists in contemporary Saharan music. His unconventional interpretations of Tuareg guitar and have pushed him to the forefront of a crowded scene. Back home, he's celebrated for his original compositions and verbose poetry, an original creator in a genre defined by cover bands. In the exterior, where Saharan rock has become one of the continents biggest musical exports, he's earned a name for himself with his guitar moves. Mdou shreds with a relentless and frenetic energy that puts his contemporaries to shame.

Mdou Moctar hails from a small village in central Niger in a remote region steeped in religious tradition. Growing up in an area where secular music was all but prohibited, he taught himself to play on a homemade guitar cobbled together out of wood. It was years before he found a “real” guitar and taught himself to play in secret. His immediately became a star amongst the village youth. In a surprising turn, his songs began to win over local religious leaders with their lyrics of respect, honor, and tradition. In 2008, Mdou traveled to Nigeria to record his debut album of spacey autotune, drum machine, and synthesizer. The album became a viral hit on the mp3 networks of West Africa, and was later released on the compilation “Music from Saharan Cellphones.” In 2013, he released “Afelan,” compiled from field recordings of his performances recorded in his village. Then he shifted gears, producing and starring the first Tuareg language film, a remake of Prince's Purple Rain (“Rain the Color Blue with a Little Red in it”). Finally, in 2017, he created a solo folk album, “Sousoume Tamachek,” a mellow blissed out recording evoking the calm desert soundscape. Without a band present, he played every instrument on the record. "I am a very curious person and I want to push Tuareg music far,” he says.

A long time coming, “Ilana” is Mdou's first true studio album with a live band. Recorded in Detroit at the tail end of a US tour by engineer Chris Koltay (the two met after bonding over ZZ Top's “Tres Hombres”), the band lived in the studio for a week, playing into the early hours. Mdou was accompanied by an all-star band: Ahmoudou Madassane's (Les Filles de Illighadad) lighting fast rhythm guitar, Aboubacar Mazawadje's machine gun drums, and Michael Coltun's structured low-end bass. The album was driven by lots of spontaneity – Mdou's preferred method of creation – jumping into action whenever inspiration struck. The resulting tracks were brought back to Niger to add final production: additional guitar solos, overdubs of traditional percussion, and a general ambiance of Agadez wedding vibes. The result is Mdou's most ambitious record to date. “Ilana” takes the tradition laid out by the founders into hyperdrive, pushing Tuareg guitar into an ever louder and blistering direction. In contrast to the polished style of the typical “world music” fare, Mdou trades in unrelenting grit and has no qualms about going full shred. From the spaghetti western licks of “Tarhatazed,” the raw wedding burner “Ilana,” to the atmospheric Julie Cruise-ish ballad "Tumastin,” Mdou's new album seems at home amongst some of the great seminal Western records. But Mdou disagrees with the classification. Mdou grew up listening to the Tuareg guitar greats, and it was only in the past few years on tour that he was introduced to the genre. "I don't know what rock is exactly, I have no idea,” he says, I only know how to play in my style." For Mdou, this style is to draw on both modern and traditional sources and combine elements into new forms. In “Ilana” Mdou reaches back into Tuareg folklore for inspiration, riffing on the hypnotic loops of takamba griots, or borrowing vocal patterns from polyphonic nomad songs, and combining them with his signature guitar. You can hear the effect in tracks like “Kamane Tarhanin,” where a call and response lyric lifts up over a traditional vocal hum before breaking into a wailing solo with tapping techniques learned from watching Youtube videos of Eddie Van Halen. There is an urgency in Mdou's music, and the fury of the tracks are matched by their poignant messages. The title track “Ilana” is a commentary on uranium exploitation by France in Niger: “Our benefits are only dust / And our heritage is taken by the people of France / occupying the valley of our ancestors.” Other times, he delves into the complexities of love, but always with delicate poetics: “Oh my love, think of my look when I walked toward the evening / Tears fell from my face, from the tears that fell green trees grew / And love rested in the shade.” As Mdou travels the world, he divides his time between two places, alternating from lavish weddings in Agadez to sold out concerts in Berlin nightclubs. It offers a unique perspective, but also means that he needs to address different audiences. At home, his compositions send a message to his people. Abroad, his music is an opportunity to be heard and represent his people on a world stage. For the cover art, Mdou conceptualized a Saharan bird flying over the desert. “This bird is my symbol because he resembles my artistic look. I wear a turban in two colors. The jewelry in its beak is the symbol of Agadez.” It's a poignant idea, as the bird flies off over the desert, it carries its home wherever it goes. It's not so different than what Mdou hopes he can do with his music. "I'm just an ambassador, like a messenger of music, telling what is happening in my world.” “Ilana” is an invitation to listen, at a time when a message could not be needed more. créditsparu le 29 mars 2019

[dustedmagazine]

Mdou Moctar — Afrique Victime (Matador)

“Chismiten” begins with the distant shriek of a rooster, the sound of feet pacing on dirt or gravel, all setting the stage for a burst of searing guitar fireworks, courtesy of Niger’s greatest current player, Mdou Moctar. And yet, while 2019’s superb Ilana: The Creator showcased that fiery, double-tapping proficiency, so much so that Isaac Olson warned “If you still have a punk-induced allergy to flashy guitar solos, be warned; there’s not a track on Ilana where Moctar doesn’t take every available opportunity to — no other word for it — shred,” Afrique Victime is less devoted to solo skills. You’ll be all the way to the title track before Moctar bursts out in untrammeled shredder-y again. This latest album is more about the trance-y, hypnotic groove, less about blitz-speed picking.

That’s always been a part of the appeal, of course. At Solid Sound two years ago, in a festival that was too hot and too crowded to really enjoy otherwise, the swaying, smoldering, slow vamps of “Anna” and “Tumastin” created a space that you could live in, nodding slowly, temporary lulled and calmed. But this time out, Moctar’s record mostly eschews the wild Eddie Van Halen-esque freak-outs of “Tarhatazed,” seeking instead the more communal pleasures of locked-in, horizon-blurring repetition.

Moctar has been everywhere lately, popping up with his inimitable style on the Superwolves album and hosting a torrid Bandcamp.com streamed block party in Niamey, Niger. His move to Matador (from the small but excellent Sahel Sounds) raises the stakes. While he’s been one of rock music’s best guitarists for a while, the larger platform takes him out of the niche desert blues category and into the broader multinational arena. He might be excused for capitalizing by leaning into the rock elements of his sound, but instead, he’s putting forward the droning, mystic, call-and-response twilight magic of northwest African guitar music.

That is, perhaps, partly due to the collaborative nature of Afrique Victime, which Moctar created in close partnership with his rhythm guitarist Ahmoudou Madassane. There is a beautiful, communal power in slow grooves like “Ya Habibti,” with its circling, mesmeric riffs and hand-clapped syncopations. “Asdikte Akal” moves a bit quicker, more of a trot than a shuffle, but also feels like a group endeavor, in the tangling, interlacing guitar lines, the steady punch of the drums and the gorgeous all-hands choruses. Moctar has quite a good drummer in Souleymane Ibrahim, able to work these rhythms hard without overwhelming the musicality, and the bass player, lone westerner Michael Coltun, supports the insistent, dream-like propulsion of these slow-unspooling tunes.

These songs seem to come at you through smoke and distance, an eerie, timeless longing in their drifting melodies. “Layla” (not the same one that had Eric Clapton on his knees) is all staccato percussion in the guitar line, but all haunting ache in the vocals.

Near the end of the album with “Afrique Victime,” there is finally a bit of guitar heroism, though tucked into the interstices between sidewinding grooves and spooky, whispery verses about all the wrongs done to Africa. And yet, the ego entailed in most rock guitar solos isn’t there. Loud and triumphant, but intimately connected to every other part of the song, the guitar work feels like a natural outgrowth of what the band is doing. During a pandemic when lots of artists have limited themselves to what they can do alone in their apartments without input from anyone, Moctar has found a way to lock into something larger than himself, letting the group be more than its members, and that’s a beautiful thing.

Jennifer Kelly

[noloveforned]

no love for ned -will- be on wlur tonight from 8pm until midnight! tune in via the station website or the tune-in app on your phone. as always, last week's show is below (and will re-air at 10pm tonight)!

no love for ned on wlur – november 18th, 2022 from 8-10pm

artist // track // album // label richard and linda thompson // a man in need // shoot out the lights // hannibal full power happy hour // bit of brightness // bit of brightness // coolin' by sound eggs // certain smile // a glitter year // howlin' banana the cool greenhouse // get unjaded // sod's toastie // melodic the impossible shapes // we are here to watch the light // hemlock cassette // (self-released) diode // eye pop // diode // refry martha // beat, perpetual // please don't take me back // dirtnap exwhite // conspiracy theory // estray // turbo discos smooch // feminine touch // a force to be rockin' with // legless jaded lady // rock 'n' roll ain't pretty // bound for hell- on the sunset strip compilation // numero group marvin tate's d-settlement // all pro // partly cloudy // american dreams alex macfarlane // the thousand note chord // the thousand note chord cassette // hobbies galore bettie serveert // for all we know (acoustic demo) // for all we know digital single // palomine fern knight // pentacles // castings // vhf yonatan gat featuring greg saunier, michael coltun and curt sydnor // slow american movement - ii. lento // american quartet // joyful noise denis fournier featuring pascale labbé and renata roagna // ywy mara ey // paysage de fantaisie // vent du sud ben lamar gay // drunkard's path // certain reveries cassette // international anthem nok cultural ensemble featuring angel bat dawid // enlightenment // njhyi // sa chad fowler, ivo perelman, zoh amba, matthew shipp, william parker and steve hirsh // alien skin // alien skin // mahakala johnny hammond // shifting gears // gears // craft morris day featuring snoop dogg // use to be the playa // last call // bungalo nxworries featuring h.e.r. // where i go // where i go digital single // stones throw smino // defibrillator // luv 4 rent // zero fatigue akai solo // heart wary! // spirit roaming // backwoodz studioz okay kaya // jazzercise // sap // jagjaguwar the randy paserntes trio featuring sam gendel, gabe noel and topanga paserntes // waterfalls // now at last // colorfield dear nora // scrolls of doom // human futures // orindal lewsberg // sweets // in your hands // 12xu blue roof // marios // (bandcamp mp3) // (self-released) the laughing chimes // guess you'll never be the same // in this town // pretty olivia jetenderpaul // an old pamphlet quote // presents the modal lines // burnt toast vinyl

[nwdsc]

(▶︎ American Quartet | Yonatan Gatから)

American Quartet by Yonatan Gat

2022年11月4日リリース Greg Saunier - drums Mikey Coltun - bass Curt Sydnor - organ Yonatan Gat - electric guitarr Yonatan Gat's American Quartet is a reimagining of Antonin Dvořák’s famed string quatet, one of the most popular works of chamber music in the classical repertoire, written while Dvořák was – like Gat – an immigrant living in New York City. But, as one might expect from the fiery Monotonix guitarist, Gat’s reinterpration offers a completely sui-generis interpretation of the music, imbued with the slash-and-burn energy of punk rock, combined with the unrestricted creative spirit of experimental musicians like Alice Coltrane, who also interpreted Dvořák’s music. This unique album was created in creative collaboration with Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), Michael Coltun (Mdou Moctar's band) and Curt Sydnor, who arranged the music along with Gat. Saunier later mixed it, adding space and dimension to the raw, live recorrding. “Since the first time I heard the American Quartet it sounded like rock’n’roll melodies, so on this record we took a stab at performing the 19th century string quartet live from start to finish on electric guitar, bass, organ and drums; adding some improvisation and vibe, but following the melodies and the harmonies quite truthfully,” Gat says. “It might be ambitious but it’s also pretty thrashed out. It was composed by Antonín Dvořák, who listened to Native American music and wrote this beautiful piece as a person from another country living in New York. Like me. Unlike Dvořák though, I cannot read music and had to learn the melodies from memory. Greg, Mikey and Curt were responding to the sheet music, each adding their unique take to it. We were also responding to each other. My favorite moments are in the second, slow movement. It was the last thing we recorded together - late night studio magic. And it all happened around the time my first child was born.” Unlike Dvořák’s string quartet (written for two violins, viola, and cello), the instruments featured include drums (from Deerhoof’s Greg Saunier), bass (played by Mikey Coltun of Mdou Moctar’s band), organ (from composer Curt Sydnor) and electric guitar played by Gat. After a series of live performances, the group entered the studio to record American Quartet. “Recording took place in a day,” Coltun shared. “We set up all together in one room and played each movement once or twice. Very little overdubs and editing occurred on this record as we wanted to capture the piece as the band intended, live and raw.” While there is a freewheeling spontaneity to the recording, Gat’s first album since 2018’s David Berman-produced 'Universalists', reconceptualizing American Quartet took years, requiring a long, disciplined process, particularly from Gat, who does not read sheet music. Learning by ear also freed Gat’s playing from a strict interpretation of the score, allowing for the wild and unpredictable performance captured on this recording. This adventurous approach extracts electrifying new textures and emotions from this staple of 19th century classical music. In turn, Dvořák’s complex writing pushes the dynamic boundaries of Gat’s guitar, from bursts of howling psychedelic noise, to extended elegant lyrical passages. Saunier’s drums, loosely following the cello, provide a breathtakingly expressive rhythmic interpretation to the piece, while Coltun and Sydnor each bring their unique versatility transcribing the viola, cello and second violin parts to organ and bass – with Sydnor bringing the approach of a classical musician, while Coltun lending sensibilities he developed during years as the touring bassist and producer of Mdou Moctar's legendary live band. American Quartet will be issued on Gat’s Stone Tapes label, which also releases music by trailblazing experimental powwow group Medicine Singers, Moroccan gnawa master Maalem Hassan Ben Jafaar, Guinean guitar pioneer Mamady Kouyate, and Israeli punk legends Monotonix. These artists are highlighted on the forthcoming Stone Tapes box set, limited to 555 copies and available for pre-order through Joyful Noise or through Bandcamp.

[nofatclips]

Toubouk Ine Chihoussay by Etran de L'Aïr

[nofatclips]

Inizgam by Mdou Moctar from the Sahel Sounds Label Sampler

[nofatclips]

Wiwasharnine by Mdou Moctar from the Sahel Sounds Label Sampler

[nofatclips]

Tala Tannam by Mdou Moctar from the album Afrique Victime - Directed by Cem Mısırlıoğlu