Friday, February 6, 2009

The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble - Mutations ep (2008)



A bridge between their first album on Planet Mu and the forthcoming second one on Ad Noiseam, the "Mutations EP" is The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble's coming of age. Profound and organic but dark and impressive, it is a perfect rendition of the ensemble's live shows and the proof that there is still something fresh to be done at the meeting point of post-rock, jazz and drones. A deeply emotional and original trip. Following their remarkable (and remarked) début album released by Planet Mu in 2006, the international "super group" that is The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble present with "Mutations" both a companion to their first CD and an appetizer to their forthcoming second album.

Having incorporated new musicians, learned from their numerous live shows and incorporated new influences in their sound, The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble sound more mature than ever before in this 8-track, 39-minute EP, which features new tracks alongside re-works of older ones.

An act combining profound musical sensibilities (and, after all, revolving around two very well known actors of the Dutch music scene), deeply emotional harmonies and an acute ear for genre inter-breeding, The Kilimanjaro places itself once again and the confluent of post-rock, dusty and gritty jazz and low-end doom-laden drones, and comes up with a music which is at the same time warm and dark, brooding and misty, cinematic and dynamic.

From the build-up of "Caos Calmo" to the almost childish, pristine melodies of "Shadows" or "Avian Lung", The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble opens here again new paths for organic, human but massive compositions, and demonstrate that their impressive live shows can be perfectly rendered on record. The fruit of experimented and adventurous musicians' demanding work, for a breath-taking, mesmerizing experience.

Text from Ad Noiseam

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