Carbon 7
Himalaya : Namaste (B,rec.2004-2006)***°
Himalaya’s album was recorded over a three year period, which might be the reason for some subtle differences in inspirational cores and of musical dynamics (within a steady and fluent original sound). Most tracks hold the middle between a moody jazz-like approach (call it fusion) with Indian flavours ; mostly this is much more, with real Indian starting points melted with a more western type of, rather jazzy, improvisation (inclusive in lots of the additional vocals). They simply fused into a convincing, new, easy to consume “fusion” genre and sound of their own. Indian rhythmical patterns are used (most clearly on “Amaranth”), Indian singing improvisation (the main singer is from Bangladesh) with harmonium (more typical for certain areas around India), and electrified sitar, only sparsely used more clearly in raga-modes (like on “Mata”). Harpist Saskia adds other flavours, rooted in a mixture of (Celtic harp) folk-flavours mixed with classical harp and jazz playing, while she, like all members besides other studies, also studied Indian music ; -on “Arpal” it is as if all this plus an extra (almost Latin) exotic touch comes to show in her playing-. Mark not only plays the sitar, but added also some electric guitar parts, with sparse wa-wa and fuzz effects, of psychedelic touches, which is most wild on one of the group’s highlights, the concluding track “Amaranth”.
