Etnotronica

Green Isac

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 2, 2004)
• Original Release Date: November 2, 2004
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Spotted Peccary
• ASIN: B00067HPSM
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #246,139 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Track Listings

1. Siamese Drum

2. Ahab

3. Black Hands, White Skin

4. Dr. Talk's Bagpipe

5. Man vs. Lion

6. Ambino

7. Subman

8. Stunned by the Drum

9. Zu-Puls

10. Goodbye, Mr. Kernel

11. New Shoes

12. Adm. Bulctow

13. Tubesontoo

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Green Isac inhabits a quirky world of ambient music in which charming melodies and arrangements fall somewhere between faux exotica and the trash heap--a meeting ground between the Penguin Cafe Orchestra and Cluster. On Etnotronica, Green Isac continues the sound the Norwegian duo began back in 1991 with pulsing ethno-percussive rhythm loops, global exotica, and elliptical structures that keep folding back in on themselves. Engagingly guileless, they are as likely to pick up djembes and bongos as play a Moog bass or Fender Rhodes piano. Lap steel guitar meets yang-ch'in (Chinese hammered dulcimer) at a crossroads of African drums and electronic pulsations on "Dr. Talk's Bagpipe." What sets Green Isac apart from so many of their peers, who simply loop rhythms into drones of infinity, is a gift for the hook. Andreas Eriksen is a member of the electro-pop group Bel Canto, and that melodic sensibility carries over. In fact, Bel Canto singer Anneli Drecker guests on "Siamese Drum" with some of her patented ecstatic wordless vocalese. Green Isac orchestrates an often haunting sound world, but instead of a wink, they've got a twinkle in their eyes. --John Diliberto

Product Description

Etnotronica: etno – ethnic elements and instrumental performances; tronica – electronica and electronics

Green Isac crosses the highly popular Electronic dance energy with the traditional world elements of the west-African grooves from Gambia, layered with Asian textures and minimalist structural influences, inspired by composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich. This outstanding new work features sophisticated electronic grooves, crafted textures and treatments, constrained melodic motifs, west-African drum grooves, wordless vocals, and a wide array of acoustic and percussion instruments. Green Isac is where ethnic percussion meets vintage synths, where bowed strings meet pottery.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Electronic Rhythms of Africa and Asia, February 5, 2005

By	medievalcrusadesbabe "ebabsedasurclaveidem" (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

Green Isac is a Norwegian-based duo. The flavor here is electronica, featuring keyboard, guitars and flute of Morten Lund and the very Aramaic/African influenced percussions of Andreas Eriksen. This is the second CD from this group, their first being "Groundrush".

The form of this electronica is to influence the listener with the rhythms while overlaying a minimal amount of fill and melody. Added to this base are some vocals and sounds to further emphasize and suggest "traditional" African and Arabic flavors. This is all expertly executed on this CD, providing the listener with a very energizing and enjoyable production.

There are thirteen tracks on this CD, ranging from 45 seconds to over six minutes. This is a Spotted Peccary Music release, and is up to the usual high standards we have come to expect from this music company.

Outstanding tracks on this CD include "Siamese Drum", a very Asian feeling piece, pulsating, rhythmic and almost hypnotizing, an excellent example of the style of this group and how they have mastered their sound. Also "Dr. Talk's Bagpipe" which is more Aramaic in feel but again, presents the listener with the same pulsating and rhythmic beats and traditional feel.

Giving more of the "electronic" angle to the CD are tracks like "Black Hands, White Skin" and "Subman", and the excellent track "Tubesontoo" all feature drumming but also highlight the excellent ability of Morten Lund to execute superb electronic surfaces for the drumming to glide upon.

Tracks like "Adm. Bulctow" and "Ambino" have a funk and groove electronic feel to them, and present us with yet another variation in style that is generously peppered with the percussion style of Andreas Eriksen. Again, well performed and outstanding in my mind.

Overall, this is an excellent introduction to the work of Green Isac, and to the abilities of Both Morten Lund and Andreas Eriksen. A good addition to your world music collection. maf

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Satisfying Grooves, November 12, 2004

By	Sweetmead "Sweetmead" (Cincinnati, OH USA) - See all my reviews

Once again Green Isac has created a CD of ethnic rhythms, electronic voices and traditional instrumentation. The use of the Yang Chin is amazing and the rhythms are hypnotic. Dr. Talks Bagpipes, Adm Bulctow and Ahab are my favorites, but the rest of the tracks do not disappoint. If you liked Happy Endings, this is a wonderful CD to follow it in your music changer.

5.0 out of 5 stars More of a very good thing, October 4, 2005

By	Bounced (Olympia, WA United States) - See all my reviews

I enjoy Green Isac's musical style. Very soothing when played in the background yet very involved and complex if you take the time to listen deeply. Where their previous release (Groundrush) has something of a Far Eastern/Asian feel to it, this release has more of a Middle Eastern feel with its percussion and selection of instruments and synths. A very nice treat for the ears