Hello. So 2011 was a bit of a non event for Benguela. But on the personal front we have collected some new skills which should benefit the band nicely. We're going to be working with Andrew Garton again at the end of this month, recording some of the tracks we performed last time he was out from Oz - Andrew is a strange kettle of fish, part theater, part activist - check him out on http://agarton.org/
Then there's the launch of the new Red Earth & Rust album happening in March which we've been involved with as individuals more than as Benguela. Produced by Jonny Blundell and engineered by Dave Langeman, this album is sounding incredible! Nothing about the new album is up yet, but you can find out about the band at http://www.redearthandrust.com/
And lastly there's a great review on Black Southeaster on the Muse site that we missed HERE
Showing posts with label Black Southeaster. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Southeaster. Show all posts
Monday, January 16, 2012
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Black Southeaster sneaks in at number 47
Richard Haslop's Top 50 albums of any year is always something to behold and we are proud to have snuck in jointly with Carlo's extraordinary labour of love for 2010. The full list will be published, with artwork, in the next two editions of Audio Video magazine.
47. Benguela – Black Southeaster (Jaunted Haunts Press) // Carlo Mombelli & the Prisoners of Strange – Theory (Instinct Africaine)
- though a good deal of the music generated by Benguela, a collectively improvising guitar/bass/drums trio from Cape Town, can be considered experimental, “Black Southeaster” can be approached, with just a little patience, as a guitar album operating in a kind of improvisatory post-rock territory where ideas, as likely to originate in a drum roll or the simple resonance of a single bass note as from any carefully constructed guitar riff or loop, germinate and develop, by careful listening and intuitive response, without unnecessary complication and with constant recognition of the need to keep the music within the listener’s grasp, into a series of more or less spontaneous compositions that are as likely to be dark, dense and churning as ramblingly, languorously, billowingly atmospheric – speaking of spontaneity, bass playing composer Mombelli’s Prisoners Of Strange, with Marcus Wyatt improvising brilliantly on a trumpet as asymmetrical as it is atmospheric, the trombone and frequently extraordinary vocals of Siya Makuzeni, and Justin Badenhorst completing an elastic yet dead-on rhythm section, continue, on a third album full of exploratory joy, surprise and what Mombelli calls spontaneous freestyle chamber jazz, to occupy a crucial and perhaps unique place in South African music.
47. Benguela – Black Southeaster (Jaunted Haunts Press) // Carlo Mombelli & the Prisoners of Strange – Theory (Instinct Africaine)
- though a good deal of the music generated by Benguela, a collectively improvising guitar/bass/drums trio from Cape Town, can be considered experimental, “Black Southeaster” can be approached, with just a little patience, as a guitar album operating in a kind of improvisatory post-rock territory where ideas, as likely to originate in a drum roll or the simple resonance of a single bass note as from any carefully constructed guitar riff or loop, germinate and develop, by careful listening and intuitive response, without unnecessary complication and with constant recognition of the need to keep the music within the listener’s grasp, into a series of more or less spontaneous compositions that are as likely to be dark, dense and churning as ramblingly, languorously, billowingly atmospheric – speaking of spontaneity, bass playing composer Mombelli’s Prisoners Of Strange, with Marcus Wyatt improvising brilliantly on a trumpet as asymmetrical as it is atmospheric, the trombone and frequently extraordinary vocals of Siya Makuzeni, and Justin Badenhorst completing an elastic yet dead-on rhythm section, continue, on a third album full of exploratory joy, surprise and what Mombelli calls spontaneous freestyle chamber jazz, to occupy a crucial and perhaps unique place in South African music.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Kagablog
First off, thanks to the guys from Bibliophilia for a great gig. If you're into beautiful books on art, design and culture, head on down to the Woodstock Industrial Centre for your fix, they have a truly unique collection for sale. You can also buy Black Southeaster and all of the Jaunted Haunts catalogue there. Roger Ballen's intro to his new photography work was also pretty refreshing (and bloody hardcore) - not entirely sure his elevator goes all the way to the top floor!
Alex is busy trying to book us something at the Alma Cafe in Rosebank - we'll keep you posted.
Mick Raubenheimer has posted a nice review/interview on Kagablog. Check out the Kagablog in general actually, some thought provoking South African edge.
Alex is busy trying to book us something at the Alma Cafe in Rosebank - we'll keep you posted.
Mick Raubenheimer has posted a nice review/interview on Kagablog. Check out the Kagablog in general actually, some thought provoking South African edge.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Hello
Welcome to the new Benguela blog. There's lots of stuff to add still, but I'm hoping that the other two members will in fact add their own posts and make this blog something worth visiting. Alex is studying sound at SAE this year and Brydon's about to become a father so probably not.
The new album Black Southeaster is out on Jaunted Haunts Press. You can listen to four of the tracks here in the Soundcloud player or scroll down and listen/buy the album from Itunes through the Believe player. The album reflects the band’s harder edge and also seems to have more of a jazz influence if those who’ve heard it are to be trusted. The recording process was also a step up from previous albums. Produced by Dirk Hugo and tracked at the new Sui Studios, the tracks have been quite heavily edited and added to - something the band as improvisors have not done before. The album also features Derek Gripper on ghost viola and Gustavo Fasani on bandoneon. I recently made a video for the track Meridian which you can also see at the top right of this blog.
Some really killer online review links:
Mail & Gaurdian review of Black Southeaster by Lloyd Gedye
Weekend Argus interview and review by Evan Milton
Mahala review of the Cape Town launch and album by Brandon Edmonds
Cheers
Ross
The new album Black Southeaster is out on Jaunted Haunts Press. You can listen to four of the tracks here in the Soundcloud player or scroll down and listen/buy the album from Itunes through the Believe player. The album reflects the band’s harder edge and also seems to have more of a jazz influence if those who’ve heard it are to be trusted. The recording process was also a step up from previous albums. Produced by Dirk Hugo and tracked at the new Sui Studios, the tracks have been quite heavily edited and added to - something the band as improvisors have not done before. The album also features Derek Gripper on ghost viola and Gustavo Fasani on bandoneon. I recently made a video for the track Meridian which you can also see at the top right of this blog.
Some really killer online review links:
Mail & Gaurdian review of Black Southeaster by Lloyd Gedye
Weekend Argus interview and review by Evan Milton
Mahala review of the Cape Town launch and album by Brandon Edmonds
Cheers
Ross
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