Sahel Sounds
MDOU MOCTAR - Ilana The Creator LP
$40.95
Inner sleeve with lyrics.
Highly recommended.
Mdou Moctar has been a staple of the Sahel Sounds roster for several years now, but his fervid brand of Tuareg guitar music never tires us no matter how many times we hear it. Ilana (The Creator) is also Moctar’s first studio LP recorded with a live band, a factor that gives these charismatic desert blues numbers additional bite.
In contrast to the polished style of Imarhan or Bombino, Mdou Moctar trades in unrelenting gritty rock and has no qualms about going full shred. But Mdou's success is not confined to guitar theatrics alone. From his experiments in autotune, DIY field recordings, to a starring role in a Saharan remake of Purple Rain, Mdou stands out amongst his peers. Tuareg guitar has rock music in its genes, owing as much to traditional desert ballads as 70s classic rock. Mdou doubles down on these origins, pushing Tuareg guitar into an ever louder direction. If early innovators looked to Mark Knopfler, Mdou has an affinity with Eddie Van Halen. Recorded in Detroit at the tail end of a tour, the band jumped right into frenetic non-stop sessions. Accompanied by an all-star band with Ahmoudou Madassane's lighting fast rhythm guitar, Aboubacar Mazawadje machine gun drums, and Micheal Coltun's supportive low-end bass, ''Ilana'' (English: ''The Creator'') captures the spirit of an Agadez wedding, a studio recording with just the right amount of grit.
Highly recommended.
Mdou Moctar has been a staple of the Sahel Sounds roster for several years now, but his fervid brand of Tuareg guitar music never tires us no matter how many times we hear it. Ilana (The Creator) is also Moctar’s first studio LP recorded with a live band, a factor that gives these charismatic desert blues numbers additional bite.
In contrast to the polished style of Imarhan or Bombino, Mdou Moctar trades in unrelenting gritty rock and has no qualms about going full shred. But Mdou's success is not confined to guitar theatrics alone. From his experiments in autotune, DIY field recordings, to a starring role in a Saharan remake of Purple Rain, Mdou stands out amongst his peers. Tuareg guitar has rock music in its genes, owing as much to traditional desert ballads as 70s classic rock. Mdou doubles down on these origins, pushing Tuareg guitar into an ever louder direction. If early innovators looked to Mark Knopfler, Mdou has an affinity with Eddie Van Halen. Recorded in Detroit at the tail end of a tour, the band jumped right into frenetic non-stop sessions. Accompanied by an all-star band with Ahmoudou Madassane's lighting fast rhythm guitar, Aboubacar Mazawadje machine gun drums, and Micheal Coltun's supportive low-end bass, ''Ilana'' (English: ''The Creator'') captures the spirit of an Agadez wedding, a studio recording with just the right amount of grit.
