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Reviews

Amarok — Mujer Luna
(Musea FGBG 4477.AR, 2002, CD)

Mujer Luna Cover art

Apparently these guys kicked ass at Baja this year. I didn’t get to go, but it piqued my curiosity about their music. Amarok is a rather large ensemble from Spain playing ethnic-influenced rock music. This is something like their sixth release, but they’ve flown under my radar until now. All the usual instruments are present, in addition to sax and other winds, strings, and various ethnic percussion instruments. Vocals are in Spanish, delivered primarily by a female voice, although there are male vocals also. Despite the large array of instrumentation these guys still drag out the analog keys (in particular the patented ‘Mellotron wash,’ but also some organ and all the other good stuff) here and there. Some of the best parts feature the diverse instrumentation in contrasting roles, like a marimba section followed by some analog keys and then a sax lead. The material tends to be on the pastoral side more often than not, so those who like such sounds, in particular the lighter Italian fare, will know what to anticipate. It certainly plays into my biases, as it totally avoids quoting Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, and ELP licks, while remaining in the symphonic progressive style, showing that you don’t have to be plagiaristic to work within genre borders. I have been generally disappointed with the new Spanish prog scene, but along with Omni, Amarok is a hell of a pleasant listen, and a band I would like to now see live.

by Sean McFee, Published 2003-08-01

Not to be confused with an identically named Polish act, this Amarok is a seven-member band from Catalonia in northeastern Spain. On Mujer Luna, their fifth CD, they mix world and ethnic influences with symphonic rock to create one of the most exciting albums I’ve heard in some time. The band’s fusion of traditional styles with those of prog operates on all levels, including instrumentation. Turkish saz, African kalimba, Australian didgeridoo, and a battery of exotic percussion (as well as traditional European instruments like autoharp, accordion, and dulcimer) are played alongside 6- and 12-string guitar, Mellotron, organ, sax, bass, and drums. A few tunes, like the two sax / tabla duets and the delicate classically-inspired “Arabesca in 4 Movements,” use traditional instruments exclusively, while others, like “En el Parque” and “Tierra Austral,” rely more heavily upon rock instruments — but many just combine them. What makes this album most impressive, is the masterful way in which composer and mega-multi-instrmentalist Roberto Santamaria has brought the prog and world elements together. The danceable Arabic and flamenco rhythms, the Tull-esque flute playing of Manel Mayol, the wild tuned percussion work of Pau Zañartu (formerly of Chile’s Ergo Sum), the powerful vocals of Marta Segura, and all the rock instruments bring the band’s different influences together to create music that is far more than the sum of its varied parts. In my book, this is easily one of the best albums of 2002.

by Jim Chokey, Published 2003-08-01

My only previous exposure to this ‘band’ was 1994’s Els Nostres Petits Amics. I say ‘band’ because that disc was somewhat of a solo disc with guests on various tracks. It was a very pleasant, Anthony Phillips-like disc, so what a surprise this new album is! Robert Santamaria still plays a mind-boggling array of instruments here, but gone are the digital keys and percussion sounds and welcome the organ, a full band accompaniment, and much more. Part of the ‘more’ is more prog-rock as well as strong twists from the Arab world. The great title track mixes both of those styles together into a great, powerful, concise hybrid, while “Arabesca en 4 Movements” draws the elements out for a more spacious nine minutes. Tabla features prominently, including a couple of short tracks where it duos with saz. Handling vocals is Marta Segura, coming across as a Spanish Kate Bush at the beginning, perhaps hinting at Geraldine le Cocq later on. The disc is very well-composed and thought-out, as I would expect from Santamaria, and the icing (succulent buttercream frosting enveloped by rolled white chocolate) on the cake is that Amarok is now a band.

by Mac Beaulieu, Published 2003-08-01

Filed under: New releases, Issue 27, 2002 releases

Related artist(s): Amarok

More info
http://robsant.bandcamp.com/album/mujer-luna

 

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