In the House of Mirrors (Crammed Discs, 2008)
French composer Hector Zazou died shortly after I received his latest CD, In the House of Mirrors. His death shocked the world music scene, specially in France. Zazou was a prolific artist who explored many types of music, ranging from world music to ambient and classical. In the House of Mirrors blends ambient electronica with acoustic instruments from various cultures.
The CD, recorded in Mumbai (Bombay), brought together Zazou and Swara, a group formed by virtuoso musicians Toir Kuziyev (Uzbekistan) on oud and tambur, and Milind Raykar (India) on violin and Manis Pingle (India) on “Indian slide guitar.” In the House of Mirrors also includes guests such as Spanish piper Carlos Núñez, Nils Petter Molvaer on trumpet, Diego Amador on [wiki:flamenco] piano, Hurshid Oripov on ney, Hungarian Zoltan Lantos on violin and Indian flute player Ronu Mjumdar.
The mesmerizing feel throughout the album is achieved with the use of cinematic electronic and acoustic drones combined with spellbinding guitar, violin, trumpet and oud melodies. The music should appeal to the fans of atmospheric recordings, such as the ones released by ECM recordings. “The sounds of the musicians are taken to a sort of “hall of mirrors”, explained Zazou about the new recording, “where, just like in Orson Welles’ movie “The Lady of Shanghai”, the sound is reflected from one note to another forming a sort of dune that pushes the musicians to dive under the surface, directly towards the heart of sound”.
Buy the CD:
- In North America: In the House of Mirrors
- In Europe: In the House of Mirrors
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.
