Invisible System - Punt (Made in Ethiopia): usa interview

Monday, 4 July 2011

usa interview

http://archives.wpkn.org/bookmarks/listen/19453

Posted by Dan Harper at 15:18

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Dan Harper

Invisible System

Street Clan

Harper Diabate Records

www.harperdiabate.com

sales@harperdiabate.com

07515 499362 (UK)

Release Date : 11/04 Part Of The April Cargo Collective : Cargo Distribution

Invisible System return with another highly original eclectic fusion album. Following their internationally acclaimed and Songlines World Music Awards Best Newcomer Nominated CD Punt (Made in Ethiopia), Street Clan is named after some graffiti Dan Harper found in Mali, West Africa.

It is again not a pure world music album. It covers genres such as rock, dance, drum and bass, dub, reggae, Ethiopian, post-punk, kraut rock, pop, psychedelia and even this time rnb and dubstep.

17 tracks take you through a real journey of shockingly original pulsating sounds that tie to Punt but sound more accomplished and distinctive in style. The album was again recorded between Ethiopia, Mali and the UK whilst Dan Harper was aid working, with the mixing finished in country.

Many known guests again feature on this album ranging from Portishead’s Adrian Utley and Skip McDonald (On-U-Sound / African Head Charge, The Sugar Hill Gang, Tackhead and Little Axe), to Eat Static and The Ozric Tentacles, an original Ethiopiques singer and Courtney Love’s drummer from Hole. Other vocalists include new Ethiopian talent as well as those Dan recorded on Punt and set up Realworld’s Dub Colossus with; two Jamaican roots vocalists, one who lives in Shashamene, Ethiopia with 3 generations of his family after leaving New York. It also features artwork by Bristol based graffiti artist Warp/Los Mutartis, a favourite of Banksy. The album bridges the connections between Ethiopia, Jamaica and the UK.

Festival bookings are starting to take place with Invisible System having already played the main stages at e.g. Endorset, Thimbleberry and Music Port Festivals as well as support for Dreadzone.

Radio play is inevitable with the previous album played on e.g. BBC 6, BBC 3, BBC World Service, BBC Asian Net, BBC London, BBC Bristol, BBC C&G, Radio New Zealand, Radio Prague, RRR Australia and countless stations around other European countries and the USA/Canada.

Reviews are due in the international press again with the last album having been extremely favourably reviewed in Mojo, Uncut, Rock N Reel/R2, fRoots, The Guardian, The Independent, The Daily Telegraph, ITunes, AllMusic.com, World Music Network, Financial Times (5 stars), Los Angeles (5 stars) www.lastheplace.com, etc.

For more details contact Harper Diabate via sales@harperdiabate.com / 07515 400362

Invisible System Takes World Fusion Music to a New Level with New CD Street Clan

Master musician Dan Harper and Invisible System has once again orchestrated a fusion masterpiece with his new CD Street Clan. With a more aggressive tone than last years Punt (Made in Ethiopia), Street Clan combines a European base with a Jamaican groove and an Ethiopian feel.

At first listen, I thought this CD would be great for a London or West Hollywood underground club. The second listen made me think it really needs to be played with hundreds of people in a mosh pit. After playing it everyday for a week, I finally realized this CD is perfect for one person in a mosh pit with hundreds of wild animals! This is mass confusion at its best! You will not be able to decide if you should go to a hip club or go on an African safari. Either way, the music is superb and the human expression is amazing.

Street Clan has grabbed graffiti from an international wall and transferred the meaning behind it into music. With a cast of experienced musicians from around the world, Invisible System’s Street Clan gets another five star review!

Check it out at www.HarperDiabate.com

http://lastheplace.com/2011/03/25/invisible-system-takes-world-fusion-music-to-a-new-level-with-new-cd-street-clan/

INVISIBLE SYSTEM

****

Street Clan

(HARPER DIABATE RECORDS) www.harperdiabate.com

Following Invisible System’s acclaimed, award nominated, debut Punt (Made In Ethiopia) comes this second eclectic helping of global fusion that once again knocks any preconceptions of ‘world music’ into a cocked hat. As with its predecessor Street Clan brings together Ethiopian musicians with members of bands as diverse as Hole, Portishead, Little Axe, Eat Static and The Ozric Tentacles and, just to make things even more interesting, adds a couple of Jamaican reggae vocalists, (Sydney Salmon from Shashamene, Ethiopia and Dennis Wint who Invisible System main man Dan Harper bumped into in Frome High Street) to the mix. Their involvement adds yet another dimension to an album that leads you along until you think you’ve got handle on proceedings before throwing a curve ball and setting off in a totally different direction. Spontaneous, joyous and full of sonic surprises it’s an unlikely endeavour where anything can, and often does, happen, with Ethiopian and Jamaican voices merging over music that ranges from beat heavy psychedelic guitar driven Krautrock (‘Live Up To Love’)to disjointed thrash-punk guitar and drums with traditional Ethiopian instruments (‘Mutant Miners’) and with every possible variation between. It really shouldn’t work, but it does and wonderfully so.

Dave Haslam / Rock N Reel (R2) Mag

INVISIBLE SYSTEM : PUNT – made in Ethiopia

Invisible System present a fusion album of Ethiopian, dub, dance, rock, drum & bass, psychedelia, electronica & live music.Traditional vocals & instruments meet the modern, electronic and brass. Recorded in Ethiopia. Live Europeans meet live Ethiopians!
Guests include:

Mahmoud Ahmed & Bahta Gebrehiwot (Ethiopiques)
Hilaire Chabby (Baba Maal)
Justin Adams (Robert Plant & Strange Sensation, ex-Jah Wobble’s Invaders)
Tsedenia G.Markos, Mimi, Terermeg, Feleke, Desta, Tewabe & Sami (Ethiopians post this album signed to Realworld Records as Dub Colossus)
Joie Hinton (ex-Eat Static & Ozric Tentacles / Here and Now / IGV)
Martin Cradick (Baka Beyond/ex-Outback)
Captain Sensible (The Damned)
Ed Wynne (Ozric Tentacles / Noden Inctus)
Simon Hinkler (The Mission)
Dubulah (Transglobal Underground, Temple of Sound, Natasha Atlas)
Perch (Zion Train)
Juldeh Camara (Justin Adams, Realworld)
Elmer Thudd (Loop Guru)
Gary Woodhouse (The Rhythmites)
Boswell / Warp (Junkwaffle & Bristol Graffiti Artist - Los Mutartis)

A brief run-down with the most recent reviews (more to come e.g. Uncut, The Word, Q etc):

5 star reviews e.g. Financial Times and www.LAsThePlace.com
4 star reviews e.g. Rock N Reel / R2 Magazine, World Music Network, www.allmusic.com (itunes), altsounds.com, fRoots etc

‘sturdy Ethiopian vocals are matched against backing that veers from wailing
psychedelic rock to trance, trip-hop and dub, it's an impressive achievement.’
- The Guardian, Robin Denselow

'New rave goes global. The rave crowd may love such deranged energy.' - Uncut, Nigel Williamson

‘some of the album’s tracks have a brooding intensity which make them as
compelling as anything I’ve heard this year ‘- Songlines, Howard Male

‘you can imagine this becoming a mind blowing rave classic, pushing the envelope
beyond Ethiopqiues nostalgia.’ - MOJO, David Hutchenson

‘there are moments of electrifying mystique’ - Fly Global, Tim Woodall

’there's a pleasing headiness to its rough charm’ - The Independent, Andy Gill

‘a startlingly original combination of Ethiopian roots and pop with dub, electronica
and psychedelic rock’ - fRoots, Jamie Renton

‘this wonderfully strange and slightly otherworldly album’ refuses resolutely to be pigeon holed. One of the most startlingly original musical adventures of the year giving a whole new meaning to the term ‘fusion music’. - R2 / rock N Reel, Dave Haslam

‘like an exotic mythology flung into outer space‘ - World Music Network, TJ Nelson

‘an unhinged sense that anything could happen, it grows with each listen’ - fRoots, Jamie Renton

'it's clear that Harper is led by his compassion. He's managed to illustrate the process of identification between an English sound and the music of this African nation. Ethiopia is generally considered the jumping off point of human migration. A starting line for mans expansion. With "Punt," Invisible System has managed to bring us all back home.' 'USA - 8/10 www.altsounds.com

‘It’s an album that, to its credit, solidly defies easy description. It needs to be heard several times and each reveals a new delight’ - AllMusic.com, Chris Nickson

‘Each time you hear the songs, you hear something different as this will be the longevity of this world class fusion CD’ - LAsThePlace.com, Los Angeles

'The DIY feel of the arrangements suits the brooding other-wroldliness of the Ethiopian vocals far better than many more expensive productions.' - The Telegraph, Mark Hudson

'I encourage everyone to check it out, but not try to capture it..just feel it.' - Max Benkole Jarrett, BBC World Service

‘Brings together a fine mix of musicians to create a festive-sounding album recorded in Ethiopia’ – New Internationalist

Live Review

A recent review wrote : HYPERLINK "http://www.africanews.com/site/list_messages/18360" \t "_blank" http://www.africanews.com/site/list_messages/18360
Posted on Tuesday 20 May 2008 - 06:27
Congratulations to the organizers of the 7th Ethiopian Music Festival, which was a resounding success and brought great sounds to Addis Abeba. The only show I caught, due to overload, was Dan Harper. His work is astounding, bringing together house/techno beats both slow and fast with beautiful Ethiopian singers singing traditional songs and melodies to ride over his beats. World fusion taken to another level and maybe another musical revolution in the making? Definitely a memorable night.

Radio Play

Extensive international play e.g. :

BBC World Service, BBC6Music, BBC3 Late Junction, BBC London, Radio New Zealand, RRR Australia and too many to mention in the USA and Europe!

Artist Profile:

Invisible System is the brain child of Dan Harper who spent 8 years aid working in Mali and Ethiopia, producing music in-between. He also since this album/recording initialised and put together, co-wrote a track and played on many and sound engineered A Town Called Addis by Dub Colossus on Realworld Records. Dub Colossus was made with Nick Page / Dubulah from Transglobal Underground/Temple of Sound/Natasha Atlas etc. One of the tracks Dan co-wrote and played on/engineered was also featured on the CD & DVD from the BBC series Long Way Down (Ewan McGregor and his friend traveling through Africa on motorbikes, including Ethiopia). Realworld took on the album post Dan inviting Nick Page/Dubulah to come and stay at his house and studio in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where they recorded the album in Dan’s Worm Hole Studios (the studio Dan built that follows him around the world changing form as to where it is based e.g. a third world country or Frome in Somerset). Worm Hole’s equipment can be setup around scarce resources such as in an outhouse with corrugated iron roofing (interesting in the rainy season), carpets and breeze blocks. It is also now constructed in a more solid form in Frome, Somerset whilst maintaining it’s DIY, nomadic and professional feel and look. Dan introduced Nick Page/Dubulah to the musicians and friends he had met and worked with whilst living in Addis for 3 years who also feature on this album Punt, as do many other Ethiopian musicians including their main star and BBC3 World Music Award Winner Mamoud Ahmed of the Ethiopiques series.

Invisible System played at the Ethiopian Music Festival, Addis Ababa last year and plan to do the same in 2009 if funding comes back around. We also hope to play some festivals such as Womad if it comes together and visas etc are sorted and we secure booking. Also we have been playing live in the UK with Dennis Wint (Jamaican born singer from the UK reggae band The Rhythmites) on vocals. We played last year using this line up on the main stage, Endorset Festival as well as supporting Dreadzone with Dennis on vocals, and this year we are playing on the main stage Thimbleberry Festival. Merv Pepler from Eat Static / Ozric Tentacles sometimes joins us on drums as does Bos/Warp on bass. We are talking about supporting Zion Train, The Ozric Tentacles etc as well as playing independently at other festivals and venues in the coming months.

The album is a welcome outcome from years of aid work and the frustrations that come with it. The lack of support for artists and musicians in this world lead to Dan establishing not only Harper Diabate Records and Harper Diabate Ribbon & Valve Microphones but also a charitable arm of the company in an attempt to continue his aid work but aimed at artists and in a less resource wasteful manner. The amount of time and resources used by the aid organization he worked for to fly people around the world to workshops that amount to very little, government lead thought and policy, constant bureaucracy and lack of being out there making a difference was just shocking, disappointing and impossible to combat or change. A contract signed to be out developing volunteer placements and making a difference turned into yet another desk based paper work job getting no-where full of myopia from London and senior management, with outrageous bullying of Ethiopian and programme staff left right and centre.

The albums were improvised, from scratch - all instruments and vocals. Improvisation was a largely new concept to most of the Ethiopian counterparts (previously told what or how to play or sing). Dan just went from go with your feelings and express them as Dan had done. The results were stunning both for them and for us. We are not into using Ethiopian (or Malian) samples or trying to quickly learn and imitate Ethiopian musicians who have their sounds, modes, scales, feelings and soul from their culture and country else we would be the neo-colonialists. We are into sharing, learning and exchange over time.

As well as the next Ethiopian fusion album with guests for release this year
we have another release with Dennis Wint, singer from the UK reggae band The Rhythmites on vocals. We are playing out live so look out for us at clubs and festivals and check the websites for info. We have been playing the Endorset Festival main stage and with Dreadzone to date. Another purely traditional Ethiopian album is also due for release, a second Ethiopian fusion album is on our hard drive (more upbeat), alongside a remix album featuring e.g. Baka Beyond, Zion Train, Jesus Jones, Inverse Gravity Vehicle (Joie Hinton of Eat Static / Ozric Tentacles), Ozric Tentacles, Power Steppers (Molara & Colin ex-Zion Train) etc.

Dan spent 3 years in Addis Ababa not 3 weeks, living, working and existing
there. Aid working all around the country, producing music based in Addis. He Met people from all walks of life. The music is based on real life experience not from reading. It is played from the heart and soul of everyone involved. Their own interpretation thus tapping the ebbs and flows of our lives.

Contact

Harper Diabate records, 1 River Walk, Frome, Somerset, BA11 5HU
www.harperdiabate.com / info@harperdiabate.com - tel : +44 (0)7515 400362 / www.myspace.com/invisiblesystem / invisible system & harper diabate pages & groups on www.facebook.com / follow us at HYPERLINK "http://www.twitter.com/invisiblesystem" www.twitter.com/invisiblesystem

Distributed by Discovery (tel : +44 1380 728000, HYPERLINK "mailto:Martin@discovery-records.com" Martin@discovery-records.com) and Arabesque (tel : +44 (0)7980 633365 / (0)20 89927732, Brian.Horn@arab.co.uk, www.arabesque.co.uk)

Extra Notes :
We would be very grateful for any exposure of the CD through play, review spreading its release via word of mouth. This is out first release on Harper Diabate. Also we want people to know the story as well as the music and to continue our work in the arts and international development. Dan is always available to talk and to be interviewed.

Please let us know of any reviews, air play etc that is scheduled so we can watch, listen, read and enjoy.

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Monday, 4 July 2011

usa interview

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