Book M

Secret Chiefs 3 | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 18, 2001)
• Original Release Date: 2001
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Mimicry
• ASIN: B00005NKIR
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,130 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Book M is mostly made up of Indian/Asian-sounding melodies overlayed with wildly cavorting techno rhythms and a tiny bit of metal, infused with a sense of mystery and paranoia from the thematic artwork based on number theory and assumedly Hindu belief systems. The production and musicianship here is top-notch. Mimicry.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ethnographic Forgeries -- Better than the originals!, November 14, 2001

By 

Dr. Nickolas E. Jorgensen "njorgens3" (Moscow, ID) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Book M (Audio CD)

Well, in response to the previous critic who compared this CD unfavorably to something his hypothetical 14-yr-old cousin could do with a Casio and presumably ample free time, I guess I'd have to agree. It would have to be a hell of a Casio, though. It would also have to be composed by a 14-yr-old who was able to play the dumbek and the santur (a kind of zither-thing used in Persian traditional music); it would also have to be a 14-yr-old conversant with Can's "ethnographic forgeries," Bollywood musical scores, heavy metal, electronica, Ennio Morricone soundtracks, and music from the highly-recommended "Ethiopiques" series of Ethiopian pop music compilations (check out Track 13, "Safina"). Not your run-of-the-mill adolescent... This is one of the most satisfying CDs I've purchased in a long time and it hasn't left my CD deck since I bought it. From the stately elegance of "Knights of Damcar" to the pounding goofiness of "Horsemen of the Invisible," this is one seriously fun CD from the same bent parallel universe that spawned Mr. Bungle. If you know any musically confused adolescents, buy them this CD - you can make a difference.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Damn fine music, November 19, 2001

By 

Scott Levine (Web Developing) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Book M (Audio CD)

After reading these reviews I can't help but wonder if everybody was listening to the same cd. I'm listening to it right now.....damn this is cool. I was expecting more of a Bungle feel, but the chaos of that band seems to be the property of Mike Patton, whereas SC3 is all about Trey. Its not even as "out there" as I thought it would be, no jump cuts or anything. Its actually pretty traditional in a way, or at least firmly rooted in middle-eastern and Indian traditions, but with metal guitar and techno beats punctuating things in a percussive way. Some of it sounds kind of like The Orb. But....its great!!!!! Somehow. Expect compositions based on traditional classical Western Asian traditions, but souped up. Thats about all I can say. But its probably my favorite CD right now.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There Is No Band Like This Band, October 19, 2001

By 

Insan Al-Kamel (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Book M (Audio CD)

D'ya know when bands let you down? Like, when their third or fourth album delivers a "radical, minimalist departure" from their old material, which is basically what you wanted? In Book M, the Secret Chiefs have done the opposite of that. They have given you their dole of Islamic Sufiism, surf rock and techno, but MORESO; Book M is solidly produced and more badass than ever. And so many colors in the palette: "Blaze of the Grail" pays hommage to the film scores of Bollywood and Iran; "Safina" brings in a hypnotic saxophone melody separate but not disparate from the autochthonous instruments; "Zulfiqar III" (A SC3 favorite) is a droll march into electronica; "Horsemen of the Invisible" gives you an intense Gypsy fire dance. All the song figures are traditional, which would smack of unoriginality if the songs were not so drastically re-worked or if any of us knew anything about Middle Eastern music. The underlying theme in "Hagia Sophia" ("Holy Wisdom") is masterfully, mind-numbingly recapitulated where you would least expect it. Buy, buy, buy! In any other world, this album would be priceless!