Exotica
Ole Lukkoye : Zapara (RU,2003)***’
While “Dream of the wind” only had some textural descriptive vocals, Zapara has the song melody completely included, always carried by driving ethno-rhythmic trancerock rhythms. These melodic song influences might still have varied ethnical inspirations, including eastern & Middle Eastern, while the sound of the band has, beside a slowly moving trancerock effect, a post-wave flavour as well. The group kept its varied use of instruments, and also the singing has often still some kind of shamanistic story-telling touch. At first listen I couldn’t get much of a grip on this album, but after having heard the earlier album I appreciated this sound even more. A couple of tracks make much more moves towards an independent trancerock / ethno-indie-psychedelica with a semi-ritual-dance effect ; some of these use such rhythmic patterns in a bit more repetitive way, become even more wave/poprock (,like “Raven”) ; even there the ethnic elements remain part of the melodic inspiration. Last track, “Quran” definitely is an inspiration on the Brian Eno/David Byrn track with the same name. The rhythms and interpretation here are very varied, but still definitely with a typical Ole Lukkoye sound.
