Illuminated Audio

Gigi | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 18, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Palm Pictures (Audio
• ASIN: B00008AY6U
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #226,454 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

As remix albums go, Illuminated Audio is better suited for fans of American producer/bassist Bill Laswell than of Ethiopian singer Ejigayehu Shibabaw--aka Gigi. As demonstrated throughout 2001’s self-titled release, Gigi’s airy, melismatic voice is an instrument capable of subtlety, power, and amazing grace. The earlier album mixed funky, complex Ethiopian pop with a dub soup of electronica, funk, and jazz. Like Choying Drolma and Steve Tibbetts’s Cho, Gigi is one of those rare modern cross-cultural recordings that update old sounds without being overtly reverential. It helped that real instruments were utilized rather than layers of samples. On Illuminated Audio, Laswell returns to the original tapes and lays down entirely new tracks ! on top of loops of the old songs. The result is a lovely ambient groove-pop album with blunted tunes that average seven minutes in length. But the keyboard washes tend toward Velveeta and, in the end Illuminated Audio leaves one thirsty for new music from this lovely young Ethiopian singer. --Mike McGonigal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars More Laswell than Gigi, June 5, 2003

By 

"sethjordan" (Bungendore, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Illuminated Audio (Audio CD)

This Gigi release is actually the young Ethiopian singer's 2001 self-titled debut album, remixed by producer/bassist Bill Laswell in his New Jersey studio. Ejigayehu "Gigi" Shababaw, the stunning 29-year old diva who just happens to be the new Mrs. Bill Laswell, is mostly in the background here, ambiently manifesting and dissolving in the mix as hubby twiddles the controls. But her ethereal, undulating vocals still thread through the proceedings like the Queen of Sheba seducing Solomon.

Original guest players Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Pharoah Sanders also make ghostly remixed appearances, their sampled solos enhanced, extended and dubbed through Laswell's studio manipulations. Similar to his other recent reworked `mix translations' of Marley (Dreams of Freedom - 1997), Miles (Panthalassa - 1998) and Santana (Divine Light - 2001), Laswell adds his own deep bass bottom, while deconstructing, mutating and rebuilding the essence of the brilliant original mix. Trippy, cool and jazzy, Illuminated Audio is a very creative album that bears many repeated listenings.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The voice as an excuse, July 21, 2005

By 

Victor Eijkhout (Knoxville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Illuminated Audio (Audio CD)

I picked up this disc, being familiar with Gigi's solo disc. Well, there are no catchy songs on this. In fact, she barely sings two words in a row. Most of the disc (all of it?) consists of samples, probably from that solo album, reworked into an ambient tapestry of sound. Most of the sound is emphatically electronically, with not a lot of traditional instruments to be discerned in their pure form.

If you can handle that, this is actually a very good ambient (lounge, chill, whatever you want to call it) disc. The sounds used and produced are beautiful, and develop slowly but in an interesting manner. If you're not looking for authenticity or traditional song structure, then as pure sound this is a fine CD.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ultimate Lounge, Chill, Commute, and/or Studying Album, November 30, 2004

By 

Bethany A. Riebock "slp2b" (Chicago 'Burbs, IL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Illuminated Audio (Audio CD)

It is true that this CD is more Laswell than Gigi, but if you appreciate global lounge and a flavorful mixture of layered music spiced with instruments that engage the ear and spirit...then this album is a must-have.

Laswell adds just the right blend of deep soul-awakening percussion and tastes of Gigi's voice, keeping you interested in the subtle changes as you listen through the CD. The music is so gorgeous that I could listen to it for hours.

I especially like that the tracks are continuous, so you can sit down and enjoy the music without the distracting interruptions when the songs change. It comes in great use during my commute home to calm me down after a stressful day or when I have to cram for an exam. It is worth every penny I paid!