Unfolding

Axiom Of Choice

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 27, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Narada
• ASIN: B00006EXJD
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,060 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
For its third album, Loga Ramin Torkian's modern Persian collective sets the words of 11th-century poet Omar Khayyám to music through soaring female vocals courtesy of Mamak Khadem. Like the group's last album, Unfolding gives Eastern music a Western twist. Torkian's guitar playing provides the cornerstone for the album. His rapid acoustic strums race along with Bikram Ghosh's frenetically dancing tabla on "Turquoise Land." His ambient axework glides through a delicately woven tapestry of electric cello, percussion, and voice on "Evanescent," while the sublime combination of his quarter-tone guitar and Martin Tillman's electric cello on "Through the Shadows, Part 1" generates ambient music without the requisite synthesizers. Earthy and organic with subtle electric instrumentation, Unfolding is a superior follow-up to Axiom of Choice's Narada World debut, Niya Yesh. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sombre occidental/oriental fusion, September 16, 2002

By	Shantell Powell "The ShanMonster" (Kitchener, ON, Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Unfolding is another experiment in musical East/West fusion. This time, the focus is on radif--traditional Persian modes and melodies. Axiom of Choice blends classical rhythms and lyrics with occidental instruments. Guitar, cello, and keyboards intermingle with duduk, ney, kamancheh, and tabla. The central instrument appears to be Loga Ramin Torkian's quarter-tone guitar, which introduces "Parting Ways With the Soul" in a startling manner.

The result of the fusion is not always to my liking. Although I enjoy the first track, "Mystics and Fools," the next song, "Evanescent" is far too New Age for my taste.

Unfolding showcases the poetry of Omar Khayyam, medieval philosopher, mathematician, and writer of the influential Ruba'iyat. Also at the forefront are the vocals of Mamak Khadem. Her voice is strong and occasionally somewhat nasal--not sweet and flitting like many traditional Asian female vocalists. In a way, her voice reminds me of Azam Ali's.

If you like world music with melancholic overtones, you just might like Unfolding. If you're seeking an introduction to Persian music, this is the album to listen to.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Investment in Persian culture, September 1, 2002

By	Azadeh Khatibi (Berkeley, California United States) - See all my reviews

This CD has it all--commanding the poetry of Omar Khayyam, Axiom of Choice has created an exquisite masterpiece of music that takes the listener on a journey, transcending beyond the minute mental drudge of the everyday, allowing one to see and appreciate the interconnectedness of all things, through time and space.
The music has an orinigal vitality incorporating traditional and unexpected sounds that please the ears of those with differing musical aesthetics. A great investement in Persian culture--music, poetry, history, language and philosophy.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A masterpiece, March 3, 2003

By	C. Elm (Virginia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After listening to classical and World Music for over 40 years, I have to say that this album is a masterpiece in every respect. Never before anybody has accomplished to bring the Persian music to the western listeners in an acceptable form like the "Axiom of Choice" have done.
The piece "Evanescent" in this album is a work of art and the silky voice of Mamak Khadem is the crowning of this album. The recording is first grade and comes as close as possible to the quality of SACD. Only a very high quality sound system would bring the huge amount of professionalism of this recording to light or else you could hear that "nasal" tone in Mamak Khadem,s voice that one of the reviewers has noticed.
I strongly recommend this album to anyone who is interested in Persian music as well as World music. I give this album 5 stars for the performance and 5 stars for the recording.