Spring hasn't quite sprung, but it's creeping along. The trees are flowering, and along the sidewalk on the way to work the hyacinths are in bloom. The mornings are a little less cold; the rain is refreshing, instead of chilling. Despite the state of the world, it's spring. In this hemisphere, at least. For now.
That said, I have a few selections here guaranteed to liven up your Beltaine celebration. The Cirque du Soleil has released another soundtrack; this one is titled Varekai and has a nice Mediterranean feel. From further north, we have Norwegian ambient composer Amethystium and Finnish folk sirens Värttinä, while Afro-Celt Sound System, having inexplicably changed its name to Afrocelts, returns with the aptly named Seed. And finally, from right here in the U.S.A. (Georgia, actually), pagan Celtic rockers Emerald Rose present a compendium of songs titled Celtic Crescent. It's time to dance.
Few things can compare to a Cirque du Soleil live performance, but the soundtrack CDs from the enormous troupe's various touring shows have an appeal all their own. The latest is Varekai, composed by Violaine Corradi, who also wrote the music for Dralion. A film and exhibition composer, Corradi is Italian by way of Montreal and has extensive classical training in performance and composition. It shows; the Varekai music is a capable, cohesive work, with considerable variety contained within its pan-world, vaguely Mediterranean framework. The music here will sound strangely familiar to anyone who's been listening to Middle Eastern pop recently, and some of the new-agey touches -- the floaty vocals, for instance, especially prominent on "Le Rêveur," "El Péndulo," and "Funambul" -- are kept nicely under control by the overall musical aesthetic. This music is excellent for general ritual use, and some of the more meditative pieces, including the aforementioned "Le Rêveur," are particularly suited to guided meditations or other similarly vision-oriented work. Some of the faster pieces, such as "Oscillum," would work very well for circle dances. While Varekai is very obviously a soundtrack, and therefore doesn't grab one's attention quite as much as music that's intended to stand on its own, it is a lovely and occasionally sublime piece of work, with strong energy and direction.
In a similar vein, though not quite as enthralling, is the second release from Amethystium, titled Aphelion (Neurodisc). Amethystium is Oystein Ramfjord, a Norwegian composer who mines the electronic/ambient/new age genre with, it must be said, some success. His textured, densely layered soundscapes form a sort of aural backdrop, though at times the music seems to be all background -- nothing really stands out. Also, at times -- such as on the opening track, "Shadow to Light" -- he lays a bit heavy on the synth, which gives the piece a 1980s feel. That's fine if you like that sort of thing, but if you intend to use this music in ritual -- for which some of it is rather suited -- this particular musical context can get annoying. There also isn't quite as much variety or sophistication as there is on Varekai, although Ramfjord does show some talent in that direction; one wonders what he'd do with a bit less synthesizer and a bit more instrumentation.
Lighter in spirit is Iki (Northside), the new studio release from Värttinä, whose Live in Helsinki was reviewed last issue. From the stylized flight of butterflies that makes up the front cover image, to the closing notes of the a capella "Syyllinen Syli, Part II," Iki is a delight for the senses, the perfect accompaniment to springtime. (Judging by the CD booklet design and photos of the band members, Värttinä are entirely aware of this.) The material ranges from the gentle, lullaby-like "Syyllinen Syli, Part I" and "Morsian" to the bouncy, active "Tauti" and the fast, light instrumental number "Vihi." There's a daylight, airy sort of feeling to this album, even when Värttinä's three vocalists sing of cold autumn winds in "Tuulen Tunto" or of a woman seized by a fatal illness in "Tauti." Fiddles, guitars, and kanteles (a Finnish stringed instrument that figures heavily in the Kalevala epic) are the dominant instruments here, though there's plenty of percussion to provide a firm rhythmic base, and every so often a bass line becomes prominent -- notably on "Sepän Poika," where it interplays with a sparse, yet intricate, percussion line. In fact, this sort of intricate sparseness is present everywhere on Iki, conveying a sort of sophisticated simplicity. Listening to this album is like taking a drink of cold water on a hot day: astonishing and refreshing.
Similarly refreshing, although in a different way, is the new release from Afro-Celt Sound System, titled Seed (RealWorld). Actually, they go by Afrocelts these days, but the sound remains the same: an intriguing mix of African beats and Celtic melodies, filtered through the lens of electronica and played back at a danceable speed. The result is pleasing, though the Afrocelts don't quite break musical boundaries like they used to. Still, there are some great bits. There's a sort of bluesy riff on the title track that interplays nicely with the half-chanted lyrics and, believe it or not, uilleann pipes. The uptempo "The Other Side," with its African-tinged rhythms and vocals and skirling Celtic flute, feeds into "Ayub's Song/As You Were," which ends with a delightful jig. And "Deep Channel," with its rapid-fire dance beat and piped melody, is perfectly suited toward raising one massive ball of energy -- or just getting down with some late-night dancing. This sort of world-music fusion, when attempted, too often falls apart into an incoherent mess, or comes off sounding forced. With the Afrocelts, the result is neither; instead, a pleasing synthesis emerges, at once familiar and hauntingly strange.
From the "picked up at random" bin, we have Savina Yannatou, Terra Nostra (ECM). I confess, I bought this because I liked the cover -- always a risky proposition -- but in this case, it paid off quite well. Yannatou, as it turns out, is primarily known as an early-music singer specializing in Renaissance and Baroque, but Terra Nostra, which was recorded live in Athens in 2001, wanders much further afield. It begins simply enough with a tune called "With the Moon I'm Walking," based on a violin melody that is soon picked up and played with by the vocals. From there, though, Yannatou and her band, Primavera en Salonico, wander all over the musical map, from the Hebrides and Lebanon. Some of it is admittedly rather strange; the Sardinian "Ballo Sardo" sounds a bit uncomfortable at first, and one doesn't quite know what to make of it. On the other hand, "Yiallah Tnem Rima," a Lebanese lullaby, is absolutely enchanting, and "Los Bilbilicos," a Sephardic love song, virtually demands that one dance -- a lively bit of music that's perfect for Beltaine. In short, this really is music for all occasions, some of it quite pleasing from a ritual perspective. Sometimes, it seems, one can judge a CD by its cover.
Last, but certainly not least, is the new CD from the pagan Celtic ensemble Emerald Rose, Celtic Crescent (self-released). Hailing from Georgia, the band reaches a bit more for the mainstream with this release, which is a collection of previously recorded material that the band feels will have broad appeal. It's none the worse for that, though; Emerald Rose's taste for variety, which carries them from the modern folk-rock of "Worlds Wedding" to traditional reels and jigs, is very much in evidence. They haven't completely eschewed more overtly pagan material, though; "Fire in the Head," one of the band's best songs, is included here, as is "Call Me Home." There are also a few new items, and a couple of re-recorded versions of previously released songs. One may be inclined to roll one's eyes to see "Loch Lomond" included in the track listing, for instance, but Emerald Rose dust off this particular chestnut and breathe some new life into it with a surprisingly fresh, bluesey rendition. While not as polished as higher-profile releases, Celtic Crescent has a charm all its own that makes it a delight to listen to.
Save this date: The Red Elvises at the Tractor Tavern on May 31. Also, coming up, a new release (finally!) from Lunasa. Stay tuned!
Genevieve Williams is a Seattle freelance writer. She can be reached at rimrun@drizzle.com with feedback, suggestions or recommendations. Local musicians and Pagan groups are encouraged to submit material for review.