November 1, 2022

Mkwaju Ensemble - Hot Air




A lesser known god defeated in battle secludes to the inside of a terracotta vase. Condensation berries the walls. Humid air hums. Dimly light teases towards insight, flickering hide and seek. Residual dew pools lazily at the bottom center. 


  

  In the beginning, there was E. Low, droning, E to contain the piece. 


  Next there’s a low marimba muffling between D and E, emphasizing the resolution to E, building the importance of that tonal center!


  Background feathered with bowl, or gong, or bell type sounds hovering. Mostly D’s and vanishing anonymous overtones. 


  Then a higher pitched marimba plays: D E F#, D E B.  And it is played over and over with various rhythms, as if with a delay pedal changing the beat division.


  The marimba becomes blurred with other tones. They play notes from B minor pentatonic!  Pretty cool since the tonal center for the whole song is E!  So what’s happening?  B minor pentatonic emphasizes notes B D E F# A. Spelled overtop the E we get 5th, b7th, root, 9th, 11th. COOL!  This creates an overall atmosphere of a suspended chord, perhaps sus2!  Since the 3rd is omitted completely (whether it be G or G#) we are left with a really tricky ambiguous chord. What a special vibe! 


  Then finally there is some flute type vibe whispering far beneath the mix. Long drawn out notes of B minor pentatonic , but adding C# sometimes!  Creating subtle tension, nice 8-). 


  And that is the story of the god held in the vase.