You can trace the inspiration for this ninth volume of the
FRKWYS series -- the
RVNG Intl. label's matching of "contemporary artists with those that may have preceded them in style and/or approach" -- back to the 1977 album
Heart of the Congos, where the roots reggae harmonies of
the Congos met the dub experimentation of
Lee Perry, and with legendary results. Here avant-garde post-rockers
Sun Araw and
M. Geddes Gengras take
Perry's place without trying to replace him, and the results are trippy, tropical, and -- best of all -- full of life. After some wide open numbers that are akin to floating in a crystal-blue ocean with mushrooms on the assist (the bleepy and percussive "New Binghi," the very bright and very
Holger Czukay "Happy Song," both aptly titled), the album slowly morphs and sobers, becoming more
Congos-driven with slow, soul-filling chants of freedom sitting on top of waterlogged dubs. The stickler here has to be "Jungle," which borders on comedic, sprawling across the floor like a screwed and chopped "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," but consider that there's plenty of levity to be had on both the West Coast and in Jamaica, the locations where these sessions were recorded. If the two were next to one another, this could be the casual border music, at least the avant roots side of it, so kudos to all involved for the imaginary passport and respect to
RVNG for delivering on the idea of the
Folkways label in an alternate universe. ~ David Jeffries
![Eno [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]](http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/0602455849564_p0_v2_s90x140.jpg "Eno [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]")
