Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Gayan Uttajak Orchestra / László Hortobágyi — Krótka Historia GUO
(Arka Sound ARKA CD33112 , 2001, CD)

by Mike Ezzo, Published 2003-08-01

Krótka Historia GUO Cover art

Musical projects that use Indian music either as samples for texture (Lucia Hwong), or as the music’s compositional basis (Jonas Hellborg), are profligate nowadays. Hortobagyi is yet another and he joins Hwong’s side. Now I hate to explode someone’s fantasy but the information on Horto’s website creates confusion when compared against this CD. It claims he founded an Oriental Music Archive, ostensibly to preserve North Indian music (I didn’t know it was facing destruction). Parallel to that is the Gayan Uttejak Orchestra, which aims to study and practice North Indian and Muslim music. The group boasts seven “members,” whose picture on the website is simply an old daguerrotype of some sitar-straddling Indians. Likewise the CD credits Horto and the group for compositions, which your ears will discover are just Horto and a computer studio. I’m not sure if this renders the archive side a hoax as well — but Krótka Historia reveals that they are serving him at least as a source for samples of vocal phrases, sitar patterns, and tabla rhythms, to do what, as I said, is now very popular: mixing the old / Eastern, alongside the futuristic / Western. It comes fraught with hazards — there are so few who do it satisfactorily (Codona, Garbarek, Hassell..). Not to say it’s bad; surely listeners bent towards experimentation will find something to delight in. Horto covers an array of styles and moods, most of which are uncommercial. But like most consciously clever music, attempting single-handedly to create an individual world, the novelty is shallow. Krótka Historia would be fine as soundtrack music, certainly. But I wouldn’t expect much more from it than that.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 27, 2001 releases

Related artist(s): László Hortobágyi / Gayan Uttejak Orchestra

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.