Seed by Afro Celts

18 Aug

Written by Mark Keresman
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Afro Celts - formerly known as Afro-Celt Sound System - are a UK-based band/collective that fuses/co-mingles elements of Celtic and African music with the sleek sounds of dance electronica. The music on Seed surges elegantly with dance beats (that, thankfully, aren’t mixed in-your-face/to the top), the dulcet tones of stringed instruments that delineate the common ground shared by Irish and West African folk, and gauzy, semi-crooned vocals (recalling those of the male "half" of Dead Can Dance) that have a genuinely soothing tenor. Unlike their previous albums, Seed is slightly less dance- than trad- folk-oriented -- this time out, there are subtle strains of Indian music and flamenco that are weaved in seamlessly into the mix, enhancing their multikulti trance/folk style. My only cavils are the vocals can be a tad too smooth at times, and there are times that I wish some of the folk elements would "clash" a bit sometimes, albeit in a copasetic fashion, the way jazz musicians at times engage in friendly bandstand "duels" or the way a rhythm section can up the ante by goosing the tempo at the "right" (or wrong, even) time. All in all, though, a nice album for beat-leaning world-fusion fans to chill by.

Additional Info

Artist / Group Name: Afro Celts
CD Title: Seed
Genre: World Music
Year Released: 2003
Record Label: Real World
Musicians: Afro Celts includes: Martin Russell: keyboards, programming; Eileen Ivers: fiddle; Jah Wobble: bass; Johnny Kalsi, Moussa Sissikho: percussion; Nina Miranda, The Screaming Orphans: vocals; James McNally: Guitar, Keyboards, Programming, Whistling, Bodhran, String Arrangements, Low Whistle, Bamboo Flute; others.
Label Website: http://realworldrecords.com
Rating: Three Stars