NATALIA MANNpasif.ist
Transkript
NATALIA MANNpasif.ist
NATALIA MANN pasif.ist Photograph by Fotini Potamia İzzet Kızıl Sercan Halİlİ Abdullah Shakar Dine Doneff Photograph by Fotini Potamia Indeed, Mann says: “It is my desire that people would experience pleasure when they listen to this album. That they could be taken away from the drudgery of ordinary life for a moment.” However, it is not a high-powered jolt into dancing away your doldrums; on the contrary, it blissfully lifts you like a feather to float away from it all. This album uses Turkish instruments along with Western instruments, but the former’s “Turkishness” is not apparent in traditional ways because they are being completely subsumed into another kind of texture. Using a pure approach to his sound, Sercan Halili’s relatively noninflected contributions on the kemençe in “Akşam Duasi” don’t have any ethnic identity, per se; they are simply musical threads in the larger musical carpet, but they do add a color that can’t be found elsewhere. The variety of flexible skin drums used from Turkish, Persian, and Arabic origins give us that delicious arc of gentle thunder. Photograph by Ferhat Akay Harpist/composer Natalia Mann’s exquisitely atmospheric compositions in Pasif.îst dwell in the subconscious’ netherworld. They could underscore paintings or photographs that conjure a perfumed dream where maybe some things are familiar, but sweetly and aromatically invoking the unfamiliar. In general, the feeling of much of the music is soft and ambient, creating a flowing stream to jump in with eyes closed and heart open. Gül Çayı (Rose Tea) is an intensely soulful piece, made so particularly by Halili’s sweet sound on the kemençe, a Turkish bowed string instrument that has its origins in Central Asia. It’s almost as if he’s absent-mindedly singing a plaintive song full of hüzün, the Turkish word for melancholy. Mann’s harp and Izzet Kızıl and Riki Gooch’s delicate percussion provide the perfect cradle for this baby. Translation: PEACE, GOODNESS, ONE SPIRIT Sea Sea, Peace, Lake Photograph by Fotini Potamia Sunshine Sister is a major mode improvisational mix featuring Halili, who is able to swing nonchalantly on his ancient instrument. Üç Adım (Three Step) is more in the dark ambient jazz mode where spooks may be lurking around the corner. Lucien Johnson’s chimerical soprano sax is a sinewy siren, while his alto sax makes little side comments as Mann’s harp improvisations poke some innocent fun. Photograph by Dine Doneff However, these pieces are environmental, according to Mann, in that they were written in and under the influence of Istanbul. Listening to them, even without any prior knowledge, one can instantly feel a part of the hazy, mysterious, and sensual ambiance of Turkey, even if it’s completely drawn from one’s imagination of what Turkey might be like. When Once the Birds is a harp solo which is a paean to a time when birds had forests, which by now have been cut down, effectively forcing their migration. An almost ghoulish threnody on the edge of a primal scream, made so by some ambient tappings and scrapings from percussion (Kızıl’s brushes, sticks on the strings); nevertheless, it keeps its animus intact with a strong adherence to its tonic chord modality, but with ghostly decor. Photograph by Ferhat Akay Butterfly Effect has a perpetuum-mobile feel via continuous harp arpeggios and gently pulsating drums backing up Halili’s kemençe, Serdar Pazarcıoğlu’s violin and Dine Doneff’s bowed bass melodies. It’s initial free-form gives way to a Baroque-era ground bass groove at the end, but it’s an end which leaves itself open to the wind’s impulse. Greenstones is a colourfully mystical setting, using the feel of the Celtic harp tradition mixed with Pacific and New Zealand influences. Richard Nunns’ taonga püoro, (Mäori for “treasures of sound”) instruments from nature’s raw materials (the timbre of greenstones rubbed together, flutes from the wing bone of an albatross, the leg bone of a dog) and Kızıl’s skillful support on drums gives us one of Mann’s most haunting creations. Akşam Duası (Evening Prayer) takes us into the imperceptibly slow descent of the sun at dusk and the ezan (prayer singer from the mosque’s minarets) through a tranquil drumbeat and the kemençe’s ethereal voice. Time spins us off into a completely subliminal world where Kızıl’s bendir (hand-held skin drum) gently nudges a drowsy melody from Halili’s kemençe’s musings on the essence of delicate damask scented with exotic oils. This delectable wandering through the mysteries of a dusky orientalist dream is one of the most erotic and sensual adventures in this collection. Interlude for Grozda for harp solo treats us to Mann's particular kaleidoscope of colors, with plenty of breathing space between chords, letting the sounds integrate into the consciousness before moving on. Photograph by Natalia Mann Alexandra Ivanoff is a music journalist who contributes to Time Out Istanbul, Today’s Zaman newspaper, Andante and Jazz magazines, and MusicalAmerica.com Photograph by Ferhat Akay This first full-length effort from Natalia Mann, as composer and leader, and her like-minded colleagues blends more than the East and West, is a global musical collage of who she is. Her music is gently sexy, powerfully descriptive, abstract but not obtuse, and sings clearly from her soul. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS AND THANKS This album is dedicated to the dignified and respectful treatment of all beings Photograph by Ferhat Akay Love, thanks and respect to the following people whose generous talents and contributions made this album possible: To all of the musicians. Sercan Halili, Abdullah Shakar. Günsel Işik Yılmaz, Smadj, Naomi Jean for your beautiful melody in Time. Fotini Potamia & Dine Doneff. Alexandra Ivanoff. Ferhat Akay. Eda Karaytuğ, and Janet Holborow. Pieter Snapper, Reuben De Lautour, Melis Tarhun and the crew at Babajim. Ergin Özler at Deney Evi, Serhat Ersöz and Oğuz S˛ehiraltı at S.e.s. Studio. Ömer Sabırsız, Serdar Pazarcıoğlu. Riki Gooch, Lucien Johnson. Richard Nunns, Bob Bickerton. Deniz Güngör. Devrim Erdem, Simon Gorman, Yuri Ryadchenko, Leda Atomica. Feride Değer Sökmen, Fannette Bonnet. Göksel Baktagir, Bic Runga, Aysu Cogur, Donovan Mixon, Toni Kitanovski, Shona Jaunas and Mike Neilsen for inspiration and guidance. Ekrem Özkarpat, Ergün Metin & Ismail Dalgın at Gitar Atölyesi. Reha Öztünalı. Carolyn Mills, Posenai & Tania Mavaega. Jamie Bull. Carolyn van Hoeve, Steve Garden, John Psathas, Rattle Records & Creative New Zealand. Special love and thanks to Xanya Mamunya & Thisbee, my family, and my husband İzzet Kızıl. NATALIA MANN pasif.ist Total: 4:56 5:07 6:16 6:11 4:41 5:13 7:39 1:11 5:04 2:34 48:55 İzzet Kızıl - percussions & drums (sponsored by Istanbul Mehmet Cymbals) Sercan Hali˙l i̇ classic kemençe, alto kemençe Abdullah Shakar fretless & electric bass Dine Doneff - double bass Special guests Richard Nunns taonga püoro on Greenstones Lucien Johnson soprano & tenor saxophone on Üç Adım Mix: Smadj, Babajim Istanbul Studios, Assistants: Berk Teker, Zeynep Tünay, Günsel Işık Yılmaz Riki Gooch - percussion on Gül Çayı, Sunshine Sister, Üç Adım Mastering: Pieter Snapper, Babajim Istanbul Mastering Naomi Jean O’Sullivan Recording: Oğuz Şehiraltı, S.e.s. Studio, Istanbul. Ergin Özler & Günsel Işık Yılmaz, Deney Evi Studio, Istanbul Additional recording by: Riki Gooch, Wellington; Bob Bickerton, Nelson, New Zealand. Deniz Güngör, Istanbul; Ömer Sabırsız, Forum Ev, İzmir, Turkey Cover Photography by Fotini Potamia Design by Unkle Franc co-writer, gongs on Time Serdar PazarcıoǦlu violin on Butterfly Effect Deni̇z GÜngÖr aqua on Butterfly Effect RAT-D029 2011 Photograph by Dine Doneff Music: All compositions by N.Mann © 2011 Sunshine Sister & Üç Adım - Mann/Kızıl. 4.55 air - Mann/Doneff/Kızıl. Time - Mann/O'Sullivan. NATALIA MANN - harp www.rattle.co.nz 01 Gül Çayı 02 Sunshine Sister 03 Üç Adım 04 When Once the Birds 05 Butterfly Effect 06 Greenstones 07 Akşam Duası 08 4.55 air 09 Time 10 Interlude for Grozda