Tuvan throat singer Soriah gets some help on analog synthesizer from Lana Guerra of Power Circus for this recording that leads the deceased back to the world of the living. Translated as "Offerings of Light to the Dead," it is a mesmeric beacon that creates an atmosphere all its own.
The 30-minute title track has three distinct movements. The first begins quietly with rattles, subtle synth washes, and occasional low-end rumble. Sometimes the bass can get a little out of control, but keyboards and other odd bits mostly manage to balance the mix. After the querulous keyboard squeals become more pronounced, the voice takes stage with ominous throaty drones floating in a vast space. Here the low end interferes a little bit with the hypnotic allure of the vocals, but at the end of the first section, it is gone for good.
The second section begins with rattles like chattering teeth, echoing whispers and groans, channeled lightning, and synth accents. The bass is matched more effectively with the vocals in this part, immersing me much deeper into this strange crossroads between the worlds of the living and the dead. Throwing up ragged rhythms and teases of melody along the way, it ends in electrical screams and revolving shapes of white noise. Constrained shouts, footsteps, and bass like a loose wire begin the last and most frantic movement, building into a cacophony of chirring electronics and warping growls. Yet the song ends with four minutes of light bells, a droning voice, and complementary electronics, the most outright mystical part of the song and its most soothing.
The second track is only half as long. Named after a Oaxacan grasshopper that forms a sizeable portion of that culture's diet, "Esqueleto de Chapulin" has drones, insect-like rattles, and a voice a bit closer to the audience, though not exactly intimate. While the song goes through several phases, its brevity compared to the first one makes it a little more, er, digestable if the thought of a half-hour journey through the realm of the dead seems a daunting place to start.
Both songs are equally fascinating. Together, they create a unique world of sound as ritual that is truly transportive. I can only think that if this is an offering of light, the darkness must be unfathomable.
samples:
- Ofrendas de Luz a Los Muertos, excerpt 1
- Ofrendas de Luz a Los Muertos, excerpt 2
- Esqueleto de Chapulin
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