Waterbone - Orion Prophecy 2003

"Waterbone adds its magical musical touch to the sounds from the land of pharoahs and pyramids. The acclaimed studio duo made masterful field recordings of some of the best musicians in Egypt playing everything from the Nay (Egyptian flute) to teacups, and laid them over an electro-world musical foundation. "Orion Prophecy" is the follow-up to their smash debut, "Tibet"." -- (amazon.com)

Reviews:
"This is the best of the best of the new wave of 'world electronica' music. Waterbone brings a warmth and a trippy originality to the normally sterile world of predictable beats." -- Rolling Stone

"In the age of the internet it's rare to find a band that is willing to travel half way around the world just to get it from the source. These guys do it right." -- CNN


" 'Orion Prophecy', Waterbone's second album, is the follow-up to the popular 1998 release 'Tibet'. With 'Tibet' Jimmy Waldo and D. Kendal Jones traveled to Tibet, well or at least Nepal, to gather recordings and inspiration. In the fashion of Deep Forest and Enigma, Waterbone left behind the Himalayan soundscape for a chance to explore the Middle East. The duo situated themselves in Cairo, and with the assistance of percussionist Hossam Ramzy (duff, doholla, reque, toura, tabla) embarked on a quest to find the finest Egyptian singers and musicians. To ensure a feel of authenticity, recordings were taken of performances on the streets, in parades, and at ancient and sacred sites such as the Sphinx. Intermixed with the Arabic vocals and instruments, previously unknown to Waterbone, are the familiar house beats and acid electronica of 'Tibet'. A couple stylistic aspects which are much more prominent in the second album than the first album is the use of reverberating vocals and what I call the 'waah waah' background effect, to promote a more mystic atmosphere.

Orion Prophecy opens with a 'Hymn to Isis', Isis being the Egyptian goddess of love. Perhaps a song of mourning or worship, it's a bit melancholy. The introductory track is slower paced in comparison to the overall album, with it's strength being in the portions focused on the angelic vocals of Nahid Katebi. The chorus and instrumental parts aren't bad, but they do tend to disturb the serene mood.

The tempo picks up on 'Vision of Maati' (maati is the law of balance, or cause and effect), with a stronger electronic presence. 'Vision of Maati' is highlighted by a joyful chorus, sung by Houda El Sombaty, accompanied by racy quanoon centered interludes.

On to 'Eastern Star' (first star to rise, known as the star of Sirius and the symbol of Set who is the satanic figure of Egyptian religion), a very trip-hoppy composition. It's not a very melodic piece, but it's surging with energy. Conflicting vocals cross paths, percussion and synthesizers rush forward, causing the listeners pulse to race, by the confusion of it all. The grooviest part of the song are the catchy mixed in street recordings, with a brief break from all the electronic influences.

The instrumental track 'Keeper of the Gates of Mars' is Waterbone's most ambient work on Orion Prophecy or Tibet. It's simple song, comprised of a slow tune on the kawala with slow drumming on the doholla and tabla, with an occasional synthesizer 'waaah'. This song is a bit different than the rest of the album, an intermission from techno influences of western culture.

'Sky Gods', back to the beats. There isn't anything not to like about this track. It's near sobbing vocals (Magda Abdel Halim) and violin motif are a little reminiscent of something from Deep Forest's 'Boheme'. Great techno beats, great melody in the chorus, great song.

Amazingly Orion Prophecy manages to maintain it's momentum all they way to the last song. I admit that the first time I listened to the new album I thought it was good, not great. But as is the case with most albums, it's not until after several rounds in the stereo that the music has it's greatest appeal. After having listened to Orion Prophecy at least thirty times, I would say it is one of the most outstanding ethno-techno compositions to hit the world fusion scene in the last couple years. In contrast to a lot of other artists, Waterbone doesn't try to slip in filler tracks that lack inspiration. Of the eleven tracks found on Orion Prophecy I would say at least five are first-rate (Vision of Maati, Sky Gods, Waterchild, Between two Rivers, and Orion), and that the rest are all good. Orion Prophecy is full of infectious melodies, and techno grooves that keep this music alive. For those who loved Tibet this is a must have, and will no doubt appeal to fans of Deep Forest and Enigma's 'The Cross of Changes'. -- (source: Earth Rhythms)


Release date: 04.02.2003
Label: New Earth Records


Cover:


Styles: World Electronica, Ethno-Techno, Ethnic Fusion, World Fusion, Electronic, Techno-Folk, New Age, Far East, Middle East & North Africa

Similar projects: Spirit Nation, Deep Forest


Tracklist:
01. Hymn To Isis
02. Vision Of Mati
03. Eastern Star
04. Keeper Of The Gates Of Mars
05. Sky Gods
06. King Of Cups
07. Waterchild
08. Temple Thorns
09. Book Of Stars
10. Between Two Rivers
11. Orion

Total playing time: 59:44 min


Format: mp3
Bitrate: VBR/stereo (average ~224kbps)


Track samples (in mp3/ra):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000086BBH/ref=m_art_pr_3/103-4427796-0975004