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ANCIENT INTIMATIONS album (2009) samples of the music
Official World Music Charts Europe in September 2009!
Ancient Intimations received 5 stars (best possible rating) in the April / May issue 2010 of the German magazine “Prisma”
subtle - dynamic - unique
Exceptional world music that interweaves organic African rhythms with transparent kora sounds, western instruments and melodic, multi-layered vocals.
This album is a mixture of rhythmical songs that are influenced by West African melodies and Nils Kercher´s own compositions. His own compositions often have a powerful but subtle backing rhythm combined with melody instruments like kora, cello and violine. Most of them develop into a multilayered choir, that feels like a mixture of mantras, gregorian chants and tribal ritual.
All the pieces are skillfully arranged and the sounds and vocals merge almost unnoticesably from one to another. The strong West African influence is not an adoption of a “foreign” influence but becomes part of a creative process of a multitalented musician. The songs are sung in Soussou or Malinke, two West African languages, or Finnish - sometimes in a language before words existed.
“Sacred Forest” is a piece where the basic rhythm played by carved wood trunks from the rainforest carries a harmonious choral-like tapestry of male and female voices. “Ah-Ye” combines a traditional rhythm - doun doun ba - still danced in remote Guinean villages, with South African kalimba, open vocals and the melodic classical sounds of cello, violine and flute. In “Inike” you can hear the transparency of the West African harp (kora) with just Nils Kercher´s beautiful voice. “Allahlahke” dances away with kora, percussion and a catchy, groovy melody. “I siga fe minden?” starts with the joyous voices of children greeting in Soussou: “foate!” (“white man!”).
The whole album has an organic but soothing quality to it and the combination of different styles forms here something new, harmonious and consistent in itself. There is a timeless depth to this music.
The album artwork is beautifully designed and printed on 100% recycled paper (6-panel digipack plus booklet).
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