Bassist/keyboardist and San Francisco native Andre Marcel Ajamu Akinyele’s sixth recording as a leader, his first using Ajamu Akinyele as his name – the previous five were recorded under the sole name Marcel – is an all instrumental, barebones minimalist collection of mood-groove-bass line heavy soundscapes. As with the previous five, this recording is again self-produced and self-released on his own record label – this time it’s the Pearl Jazz Recording Label a division of Bombay Recording Company, the previous releases were on his Bombay Recording Company label.
The music is perhaps best described as very minimalist funk fusion that is very new age-ish. Each track comes in at about the same mid-tempo with an ostinato bass line prominent below extremely retro-sounding synth, mostly a variety of keyboard, patches. Nothing moves fast. The emphasis of the tracks is really all about the synthesized/drum machine-ish grooves with keyboard chordal sustained hits above. Think of it as Down To The Bone without the filler.
Akinyele plays all of the instruments himself, though while they’re not listed it only sounds like synthesizer and bass with an occasional percussion instrument. Added on one cut, Starwalkin’ – one of the more uptempo disc tracks, is pianist Jon O’Bergh who gives the album a much needed kick.
Tracks: Supernova, Evolution, 2704 Shane Drive, Orbiting The Universe, Gemini Soul, Starwalkin', Love, Pearl and Supernova (Extended Version)
JazzReview.com
