AP Track Review
Orchestra Gold’s creations are wildly infectious and lively. Their track Maribayassa is a beautiful culmination of a raw psychedelic soul sound. This style stems from the origins of 1970’s Malian psych but spins its own modernity into a billowing cloud of layered blaring notes. To craft such noises out of Oakland, California brings life to local scenes willing to expand their artistic taste. It builds a tribally punk atmosphere that sways you to another place. Get into it.
- Alyssa Holland
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM - PRESS NOTES:
Fronted by the charismatic Malian singer and dancer Mariam Diakité, Orchestra Gold (OG) plays an original stew of African – inspired rock and soul music. Drawing deeply on Mali’s musical history, OG blends analog, rhythmic dance music together with elements of psychedelic soul. With roots Malian drumming and the deep wisdom of Mariam’s vocals, OG moves audiences from the inside out.
Mariam, (lead singer), and I (Erich, guitar player) came together in 2015 to record this first slew of songs as demo versions in Segou, Mali. Mariam and I knew each other, but had never really worked together on any music. However, I remember at one point while working on these demos, we looked at each other and thought, “this could be something really amazing!”
Visas, logistics and other hurdles took about 4 years to turn that seed into a reality. After a long drawn out visa excursion, Mariam landed in Oakland, CA in March of 2018. We began assembling a crew of amazing Bay Area musicians to flesh out that music. Although the music is challenging, things came together very quickly.
Five months later, we entered Coyote Hearing Studios in West Oakland to record the first batch of songs. Luke Bace, bass player, engineered the session. He would click record, then run back to his position so he could play. What took a while was mixing. We really wanted it to sound gritty analog, far dirtier than most others would be willing to go. We wanted you to feel like you stepped into a Bamako music club circa 1976.
No comments:
Post a Comment