The Heliocentrics wählen ihre 10 Lieblings-Schallplatten von Mulatu Astatke

The Heliocentrics

A World Of Masks Black Vinyl Edition

Soundway • 2017 • ab 17.99€

Es gibt selten zwei Künstler unterschiedlicher Generationen, die so eng miteinander verwoben sind wie das Londoner Psych-Jazz-Kollektiv The Heliocentrics und Ethio-Jazz-Legende Mulatu Astatke. Nachdem das Heliocentrics-Debüt »Out There« 2007 schon hohe Wellen geschlagen hatte, geriet ihr Aufeinandertreffen im Rahmen von Struts »Inspiration Information«-Reihe zur perfekten Synthese. Das Album wurde zu einem der Jazz-Alben des Jahres 2009 und ist bis heute die bekannteste »Inspiration Information«-Platte. Mulatu, dessen Musik seit der »Ethiopiques« und vor allem durch den Soundtrack zu Jim Jarmuschs »Broken Flowers« ein breitenwirksameres Revival erlebt hatte, war wieder in aller Ohren, die Heliocentrics gelten inzwischen als eines der wichtigsten Jazz-Kollektive überhaupt. Dieser Tage ist mit »A World Of Masks« ihr fünftes eigenständiges Werk erschienen, für das

Mulatu Astatke

Mulatu Of Ethiopia Deluxe Edition

Strut • 2017 • ab 29.99€

sie sich mit der slowakischen Sängerin Barbora Patkova zusammengetan haben.

Heliocentrics-Drummer und -Mastermind Malcom Catto kam schon in den Neunzigern mit der Musik Mulatu Astatkes in Berührung, noch bevor er mit den Soul Destroyers erstmals in Erscheinung trat und Anfang des neuen Jahrtausends zwei Solo-LPs auf Mo Wax veröffentlichte. Die Auswahl seiner Mulatu-Lieblingsstücke zeigt, wie sehr er sich in dessen Diskografie vergraben hat. Sie reicht von frühen Stücken bis in die 2000er, von den all time classics zu den rare gems.

Aus: »Ethio Jazz«, 1974

Malcolm Catto: Easily my favorite Mulatu track, and in my top 20 best tunes of all time. I first heard this on a cassette, at friend and fellow musician/producer Mike Burnham’s Tardis studio while recording my »Popcorn Bubblefish« LP for Mo Wax. This was back in the late 90’s (before I set up my own vintage analog studio – Quatermass Sound Lab) at the time the »Ethiopiques« series came out. This track was unlike anything else I had ever heard before, combining a heavy funk syncopated groove with the exotic and mysterious sounding Ethiopian scale.

Aus: »Ethio Jazz«, 1974

Malcolm Catto: I really love the psychedelic aspects of this music and its understated intensity and slow build. I remember this being played regularly in the Helios’ tour bus before our collaboration with Mulatu, and Ollie our keyboardist being blown away by it and asking who it was. We told him, then the band was approached two weeks later to play with Mulatu at Cargo in London for his first UK gig in 20 odd years! We were all well chuffed. There is a great version live we did with Mulatu of this track on YouTube with a psychedelic lightshow that makes me happy every time I see it, as you can really see that Mulatu is totally loving it.

Aus: »Mulatu Of Ethiopia«, 1972

Malcolm Catt: I first heard this track along with many now classic albums (like Sarah Webster Fabio on Folkways etc. back in around 1995/6) before this album and Mulatu were largely heard of, and before the release of the »Ethiopiques« series in 1998, from Japanese record dealer San in New York. He actually bought all the copies from Ethiopian Airlines whom he had cleverly contacted after finding a battered copy in a New York flea market.

Aus: »Yebekagnale / Yegele Tezeta«, 1969

Malcolm Catt: I remember being on tour with Mulatu at the time when he first heard the Nas and Damian Marley chart topping track that sampled a large chunk of this one, and Mulatu not being too happy about it. The mood and scale of Mulatu’s music has been a big influence on me personally and the Heliocentrics since first hearing. You can hear this influence in tracks like »Eastern excursion« on my »Popcorn Bubblefish« LP and on »Age of the Sun« on our »Out There« LP.

Aus: »Inspiration Information«, 2009

Malcolm Catt: I’m happy to have been a part of the recording of this one as it’s such a good melody. We all learnt a lot from recording the »Inspiration Information« LP with Mulatu, and in retrospect, I’m glad we didn’t try to recreate the »Ethiopiques«’ style and instead have done a true collaboration between Mulatu and ourselves, using all our influences.

Aus: »Alemiye / Gubiliye«, 1974

Malcolm Catt: Thumbs up to my old friend Egon (Now-Again Records) for reissuing this super rare beautiful Ethiopian 7” psyche masterpiece.

Aus: »Tiz Alegn Yetintu», 1970

Malcolm Catt: Another obscure Mulatu release, sounding like an earlier and heavier, more jazz influenced version of »Yegella Tezeta«, but still with the typically strong Latin influence that can be heard from Mulatu’s earliest material to his present-day work.

Aus: »Mulatu Of Ethiopia«, 1972

Malcolm Catt: A funk work-out Ethiopian style here from the big man. Mulatu always wanted to merge Ethiopian music and scales with western jazz and funk, and it is only when you have to recreate these tracks live that you fully realize how good the original arrangements and players were!

»Mote Adeladayou / Yekermo Saw«,1969

Malcolm Catt: This is Mulatu’s signature tune for good reasons, its seductive and infectious groove and melody head means that once it is heard it cannot be easily forgotten. The Heliocentrics performed this classic Mulatu song with him for the first time at the Cargo gig which was the night before my son Mylo was born 9 years ago.

Aus: »Ethio Jazz«, 1974

Malcolm Catt: For me, this is true Ethio Jazz at its finest.