Search - M'lumbo :: Spinning Tourist in a City of Ghosts

Dunno who or what Kobalt 6 is, but M'lumbo are a trio of talented musical jokers aided by various guest musicians and hangers-on, who are more interested in challenging themselves than in reaching a mass audience. Previous releases have offered wacky interpretations of movie and TV themes, played with a vaguely free-jazz/world-beat orientation, but on this Spinning Tourists In A City Of Ghosts, M'lumbo jump headfirst into sampling and studio wizardry, moving obliquely in various directions and often sounding a lot like the Orb in their most mind-expanding incarnation. The seven generously proportioned pieces on the CD are loosely stitched together with vocal loops, music samples, nature sounds, drones and the riff-oriented playing of the trio and guests, who can be heard on muted trumpet, sax, guitar, bass, keyboards, and percussion - generally laying down a skewed but urbane jazz-funk goove with occaisional ethnic overtones (sitar, hand percussion, etc) Sometimes, as on the long and sprawling "Soul Exchange," the thread gets lost, and the vision quest threatens to degenerate into a disjointed fever dream. Elsewhere, though, an overall shape is at least hinted at, or a direction maintained, or an atmosphere sustained - which makes most of the aural journeys on this CD well worth listening. - Alternative Press