Rating:
Genre:
Avant Garde
Release Date: 09/12/2006
Run Time: 60:49
Budd, an early practitioner in the
ambient school and frequent collaborator with
Brian Eno, here teams up with musical nomad
Hector Zazou, who had formed evocative partnerships with musicians from Africa to the Far North, from
Bill Laswell to
Björk.
Glyph combines
Budd's penchant for dreamy, shimmering electric keyboards with
Zazou's rhythmic acumen, drawing from various
world music sources as well as
drum'n'bass and other dance club and urban sounds. Overall, it wavers between falling a bit too far on the fuzzy,
new age-y side of the
ambient divide (
Budd's somewhat portentous vocalizations don't help) and achieving some constructions of real interest.
Zazou always has a fine ear for instrumental textures, bringing in
Renault Pion for some rich, sensual clarinet playing on several tracks and a couple of Finnish masters of the kantele, a kind of dulcimer, on the intriguing
"Johnny Cake." The trumpet work of
Christian Lechevretel, on the other hand, ventures a bit too close to a
Miles Davis imitation for comfort. Fans of
Zazou who have heard and enjoyed his work will find much to savor here but listeners who only know
Budd from his more ethereal performances elsewhere may be slightly put off by the relatively aggressive and funky rhythms on a few pieces.
Glyph is
ambient music with a slightly surreal, just barely rough edge.
~Brian Olewnick, All Music Guide
;)
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