Unfolding
World
| Sep 2002
Reviews
Fo
Reviewed 2002-09-27
Reviewed 2002-09-27
AXIOM OF CHOICE – Unfolding
Narada, 2002
PERSIAN WORLD FUSION – There is an unwritten law that all world fusion bands must, at one time or another, do an album based on great poetry. Most of these discs pick on Rumi or Shakespeare, and are pretentious crap of the worst kind. But this one’s not bad, partly because of the novel source (Omar Khayyam, untranslated), and partly because Axiom of Choice has a valid cultural claim to the material. AoC’s root sound is traditional Persian, placed opposite a New Age sheen of electric cello, bass, guitars and studio trickery. I am very fond of Mamak Khadem's vocals, and the use of the Armenian duduk flute (with it's oddly human sound) is pretty cool.
Fo’s Picks: 1, 4, 5, 9
01. 6:05 – uptempo, melodic neo-trad with a solid beat; very good vocal and clarinet solo
02. 4:40 – more ambient with new age guitars, loping percussion, vocals come in later
03. 4:44 – bits slowly come together into atmospheric ballad: exotic duduk (flute) solo
04. 4:04 – fast guitars& tabla propel a wordless overdubbed vocal
05. 3:24 – very slow, ethereal duet for electric cello and quarter-tone guitar, fades into…
06. 4:34 – relaxed melody for full ensemble: duduk solo, then changes for a churning end
07. 6:10 – uptempo, simple melody with a melancholy undertone; good clarinet & vocal
08. 6:59 – very slow atmosphere, then Strunz & Farah style melody, creepy break
09. 3:27 – eek! plaintive, overdubbed vocal with unsettling low rhythm
10. 5:30 – pretty, folksy/rustic, new age melody with plain vocal
[Fo] - 9/27/02
Narada, 2002
PERSIAN WORLD FUSION – There is an unwritten law that all world fusion bands must, at one time or another, do an album based on great poetry. Most of these discs pick on Rumi or Shakespeare, and are pretentious crap of the worst kind. But this one’s not bad, partly because of the novel source (Omar Khayyam, untranslated), and partly because Axiom of Choice has a valid cultural claim to the material. AoC’s root sound is traditional Persian, placed opposite a New Age sheen of electric cello, bass, guitars and studio trickery. I am very fond of Mamak Khadem's vocals, and the use of the Armenian duduk flute (with it's oddly human sound) is pretty cool.
Fo’s Picks: 1, 4, 5, 9
01. 6:05 – uptempo, melodic neo-trad with a solid beat; very good vocal and clarinet solo
02. 4:40 – more ambient with new age guitars, loping percussion, vocals come in later
03. 4:44 – bits slowly come together into atmospheric ballad: exotic duduk (flute) solo
04. 4:04 – fast guitars& tabla propel a wordless overdubbed vocal
05. 3:24 – very slow, ethereal duet for electric cello and quarter-tone guitar, fades into…
06. 4:34 – relaxed melody for full ensemble: duduk solo, then changes for a churning end
07. 6:10 – uptempo, simple melody with a melancholy undertone; good clarinet & vocal
08. 6:59 – very slow atmosphere, then Strunz & Farah style melody, creepy break
09. 3:27 – eek! plaintive, overdubbed vocal with unsettling low rhythm
10. 5:30 – pretty, folksy/rustic, new age melody with plain vocal
[Fo] - 9/27/02
Recent airplay
Elixir
This is What 15 Years of Radio Have Done to Me — Dec 02, 2002
Elixir
At the Cafe Bohemian — Nov 19, 2002
Turquoise Land
At the Cafe Bohemian — Nov 12, 2002
Mystics and Fools
No Cover, No Minimum — Oct 15, 2002
Charting
2002-09-30 — 2002-12-02
Reggae/World
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Dec 8 | 1 |
| Nov 24 | 1 |
| Nov 17 | 1 |
| Oct 20 | 1 |
Track listing
| 1. | Mystics and Fools | ||
| 2. | Evanescent | ||
| 3. | Parting Ways with the Soul | ||
| 4. | Turquoise Land | ||
| 5. | Through the Shadows 1 | ||
| 6. | Through the Shadows 2 | ||
| 7. | Elixir | ||
| 8. | Ancient Sky | ||
| 9. | Color of Dreams | ||
| 10. | Messenger of Time |