Waterbone - Tibet 1998

"Producer-musicians Jimmy Waldo and D. Kendall Jones traveled to Kathmandu to record the raw sample material for this trip-hop collage of Nepali singing, street chat, and instrumental performances. Recalling similar experiments like those of Deep Forest, Loop Guru, Transglobal Underground, and others, Waterbone's mosaic is pieced together over surging dance beats, albeit with more breath than straight house or techno grooves, and processed through shiny reverbs and cloudburst echoes. The cool "Eastern Girl" fits Tibetan bells into a Tangerine Dream-style rhythm pattern, while "Tantra" undulates to Nepali monk group chants, Euro-pop synthesizer melodies, and the charming voice of Lobsang, a Kathmandu girl, whose quarter-tone inflections soar over Waterbone's relentless house beat. Ethno-techno with a tuneful flair." -- James Rotondi (amazon.com)


"Waterbone is the creation of Don Jones (D. Kendall Jones) & Jimmy Waldo, produced by David Evans (David and Jimmy are also the guys behind Spirit Nation). Jimmy has been in, and around music studios all his life. He started out as a session player (keyboards and midi, mostly), as well as being a member of hard rock groups such as Quiet Riot and Blackthorne, as well as co-founding the band Alcatraz (with guitarist Steve Vai). Jimmy along with Don journeyed to Katmandu, spending weeks interacting and recording the harmonic heartbeat of a place of pristine holiness and simple pleasures, the archway to the Himalayas. The product was Waterbone's debut album Tibet, released in 1998. The debut album was stylistically similar to Deep Forest, but more on the trip-hop end of the spectrum, fusing dance beats with buddhist chants, jubilant choruses of Nepali and Tibetan children, and honks and thumps of indigenous, horns, drums, and flutes.

With Tibet's increasing recognition as one of the top world-beat albums of the late 90's, Waterbone followed the example of groups like Deep Forest and Enigma, moving away from the Himalayas and setting its site on the Middle East. Waldo and Jones traveled to Cairo, and with the assistance of percussionist Hossam Ramzy, embarked on a quest to record the finest singers and musicians in Egypt. Now with Arabic vocals and new instruments, like the quanoon, rebaba, nay, kawala, arghoul and doholla, recorded on the streets, in parades, and at ancient and sacred locations for authenticity. Waterbone managed to capture the spirit of Egypt in the 2003 release Orion Prophecy. Though region of focus had shifted the second album still carried Waterbone's signature of reverberating vocals woven within what I call the 'waah waah' atmospheric effect, accompanied with house beats. Also along with the superb new sounds of the 2003 release came a re-release of the out of print Tibet. Waldo and Jones are currently discussing what part of the world to explore next for the thrid installment from Waterbone." -- (source: Earth Rhythms)


Original release date: 04.08.1998
Label: World Disc

Re-edition rel. date: 25.02.2003
Label: Intent City


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. Eastern Girl
02. River Of Souls
03. Tantra
04. Song Of The Mountain
05. August Moon
06. Snow Palace
07. Pujari Vision
08. Waterdance
09. Bridge to Manaslu
10. Tantra II
11. Child's Prayer

Total playing time: 62:01 min


Format: mp3
Bitrate: 192kbps/CBR/stereo


Track samples (in mp3/ra):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00000AGIR/ref=m_art_pr_1/103-4427796-0975004
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000083EJT/ref=m_art_pr_2/103-4427796-0975004