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Resonance/Dissonance Nawa Recordings Nawa 001
The young London- based Iraqi oud play- er Khyam Allami has been noted as a tal- ent to watch for some
time. Appearances around the city, at SOAS (London University’s School of Oriental and African Studies) and on BBC Radio 3’s World Routes programme, where he was the first recipient of their Academy scholarship, have all added to his profile. Yet for all that, the intensity and finesse of Resonance/Disso- nance – his debut album – still comes as a sur- prise. From its deep and very deliberately plucked opening notes to the final extended fade on Reverie, this is not only a vibrant and engaging piece of music, but a work of sur- prising maturity.
Although, as on the bonus DVD, Allami is often accompanied live by a percussionist, this recording is completely solo and allows Allami to stretch out and maximise the largely- reflective qualities one associates with a style of playing where the essence of a tune is explored in the course of the piece as it gains in complexity. His compositional style is based around the classical Iraqi musical system of maqam and his oud playing contains an edge that distinguishes the modern Iraqi style. But Allami has also studied widely around the Middle East and achieves variety from a num- ber of sympathetic influences.
Not all are as measured and sedate as the opening piece, although many do contain a thoughtful, meditative tone and descend- ing scale. Others –most notably in the title of Naghmat Tahrir (Tahrir’s Theme) – betray a more topical awareness. In the course of a single piece his playing may often change subtly in both its intensity and tonal colour, shading in and out of moods as moving clouds might chase across the sun and incor- porating hints of anything from baroque del- icacy to flashes of flamenco. Material varies from the clarity and bright arpeggios of tracks like Tawazan I (Balance) and An Alif (An Apex) to the more mellow classical moods of Tawazon II and The Descent – a tra- ditional composition in Maqam Nawa. Also importantly, the live launch performances for this album have shown that not only can Khyam Allami’s playing hold a young audi- ence, but that the moods and music of Reso- nance/ Dissonance can be just as spellbind- ing in a live setting.
Distributed in the UK by Cargo Records.
www.khyamallami.com
Phil Wilson VARIOUS ARTISTS
The Inner Octave Rif Mountain RMCOMP001
Rif Mountain has proved a rather fertile record label stable in its less-than-two-year history. The worker’s
co-operative formed by Steven Collins (The Owl Service), Dom Cooper (The Straw Bear Band), Jason Steel and Nancy Wallace, is galvanised by a home-grown ethos: the collective spirit, and often cross-fertilisation between acts here, engenders this Various Artists’ release with a shared vision and cohesion, despite distinctive- ly different musical styles.
This compilation is made up of some unreleased versions and demos as well as stock from back catalogue. In the eclectic mix is the unreasonably good Jason Steel, who turns his hand easily to ragtime banjo, coun- try-blues slide or stunningly accomplished guitar-picking, all the while overlaying his
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