Around the World (22)

Hello, Around the World still keeps that old heartbeat , you might be forgiven to think that its only germans doing the medievil dance, obviously not but then again Germany has many old castles as backdrop/inspiration for festivals and most towncenters still have plenty of woodwork buildings, 16 th century houses with 21 st century BMW and Mercs parked in front...duh. I think its a rather unique sense of history germans keep. Enough of that...My second title Mystica Antiqua Vol. 2 is actually a better compilation then last weeks vol 1 and you'll find besides germans an austrian , swiss, australian, bulgarian and evensome english babes on it, try to compile a rock sampler with those backgrounds, it wouldnt work but here it sure does.
Firstly however i present a band, i myself discovered not that long ago and i was almost immediately taken by their music, they are from Valencia/Spain......

L'Ham de Foc (Fish hook of fire...great logo !) are from Valencia, power and beauty are the two main concepts in their music, and fire and water the contrary elements that are symbolized by their name. Their compositions have the ability to transform music for specialists into an understandable but profound music. Each album of L'Ham de Foc reflects what they have experienced in their recent journeys and studies. Three years passed by between the surprising and acclaimed debut album "U"and its successor "Cançó de Dona i Home", their second album and international breakthrough. Once again the band took a break of three years to release "Cor de Porc". Before entering the studio they spent six month in Thessaloniki (Greece) to study the music of the Ottoman Empire that is still vivid and being played on the Ud in Turkey, Greece and Armenia. This attitude was responsable for a lot of journeys especially to Greece where the main protagonists of L'Ham de Foc -singer Mara Aranda and multiinstrumentalist Efrén López- have now found their second home.

All songs have one thing in common - a sort of drone. This element is found in Medieval music but also in Afghan and Scandinavian styles. To this drone is added layer upon layer of instruments, topped off with the clear voice of Mara Aranda. Each layer might have its home in a distant part of the world. A Norwegian langeleik is matched with tabla, an Afghan rabab combines with a Persian santur and a bagpipe becomes the lead to a Catalan harp. It’s hard to put a label on this music. There are so many influences to discover in the melodies and timbres these instruments provide.





L'Ham de Foc also works on other traditional rhythms from Spain, like the Jota, and uses archaic and popular percussion like spoons, pots or a wooden table, played by Vanesa Muela as a basic rhythm, while new band member Osvaldo Jorge plays the Indian percussion instruments like Tabla, Kanjira or Ghatam and is responsible for the more specific and detailed pecussion. Stunning musical dialogues are developped on the Tomback (another percussion instrument) between Masur from Iran and band member Diego López. Again multiinstrumentalist Efrén López has introduced various new instruments in the sound universe of L'Ham de Foc. The whole family of the turkish Saz (string instrument) that consists of 6 instruments with different sizes has been involved in the repertoire and has strongly influenced the music. Out of more than 40 hours of material, that was recorded between Valencia and Thessaloniki, L'Ham de Foc produced 12 songs with a delicate selection of instruments, melodies and rhythms that make their music so unique.


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L'ham de Foc - Cor de Porc (05 ^ 150mb)

"COR DE PORC ("Pig Heart") suggests the idea of the eternal coming and going through life with sadness and the natural imperfection which makes us (both musicians and the rest of the human race) like a pig attempting to wrench notes from a harp, when comparing with the ideal of perfection that we have. However much a man evolves, studies, investigates and wastes sleeping hours in the madness of being, he will never be more than this, a lonely pig with eternal insatisfaction like a hump."



01 - Voldrien (5:41)
02 - Per La Boca (4:45)
03 - Pandero (4:03)
04 - La Raó (4:00)
05 - Cus! (4:47)
06 - Tristos Ulls (5:42)
07 - L'Estimat Del Corb (4:41)
08 - Encara (8:56)
09 - Jorn E Nit (7:01)
10 - Història Curta D'Un Vent (5:14)
11 - Àngels De Menta (6:19)
12 - L'Únic Peix No Foll Del Món (1:56)

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VA - Mystica Antiqua Vol. 2 (00, 71 min ^ 159mb)




01 - Sarband - Stella Splendens (6:46)
02 - Hortus Musicus - Ninguno Cierre Las Puertas (4:56)
03 - Adaro - Se Ome Fezer De Grado / Apostos Miragres (2:43)
04 - Streuner, Die - Die Räuber (2:39)
05 - Spectaculatius - Der König Und Der Bettler (2:53)
06 - Airim - Follow Me Up To Carlow (2:36)
07 - Corvus Corax - Mit Dans Is All Die Werlt Genesen (3:24)
08 - Donner Trummel - The Chariot (3:14)
09 - Mediaeval Baebes - Omnes Gentes Plaudite (3:06)
10 - Louisa John-Krol - Alexandria (5:30)
11 - La Floa Maldita - L'Oasis (Night) (5:14)
12 - Verbannten Kinder Evas, Die - Overpast (6:08)
13 - Peron, Carlos and Ehrlich, Peter - Lohengrin (5:07)
14 - Hans-Andr Stamm - Requiem: Sanctus (2:49)
15 - Mothwing - The Castle (2:36)
16 - Miller, Dave - Mystic Procession (6:35)
17 - Lesiem - Liberta (Chor Version) (4:27)

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All downloads are in * ogg-7 (224k) or ^ ogg-9(320k), artwork is included , if in need get the nifty ogg encoder/decoder here !