What The Critics Say
Invisible Design II showcases Bill Laswell playing a series of "compositions" -- that feel more like improvisations -- completely solo, a decade later follow-up to Invisible Design that appeared in the Tzadik Composer Series in 1999. Laswell plays fretless and eight-string basses, and uses loads of effects to create either sonically atmospheric backdrops or multi-layered bass parts to accompany himself on these ten selections. The results are busier than those found on the first volume, musically more agile and compelling. That said, Laswell's love of ambient textures and soundscapes is also indulged here, and notions of space, silence, depth of field, and subharmonics are utilized as interludes between more active numbers-"Aphasia," walks the line between futurist space dub and ambient dub, while "Sub Sonnet," which follows it, immediately moves from dub to complete sonic wave drifts of varying tones and levels of distortion that still create a sense of float and hover. Other tracks, such as "Pillar," enter and leave as simply a series of pitches added to by efx without any noticeable "playing." The set closes with the beautiful and sometimes tense "Darkness After," that employs some of Laswell's most understated melodic tendencies as well as his love of King Crimson's more paranoid fantasies with fuzz and distortion (think of the long bass or guitar sections in some live versions of "Fractured"). If you are a Las fan, this will more than likely keep your interest over the entire 50 minutes, if you are anything less than that, this will most likely be a minor curiosity. ~ Thom Jurek, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The cross-cultural fusions of traditional North African music with more modern/Western electro-dance beats, rap, and reggae in which the Barbarity label specializes are indisputably unusual. So it might seem churlish to characterize their releases as formulaic. Still, for those who have kept up with Barbarity's projects over the years, Maghrebika's Neftakhir definitely has many of the traits we've come to expect from its albums. There are the traditional chants and melismatic melodies that are more or less at the core; the ethereal, unpredictable electronic effects; the frequent insertion and overlays of rap-like vocals and beats; and, on this release, some bass overdubs from Bill Laswell, who contributed similar work to a previous Barbarity release by Azzddine. There are some differences between this and much of the rest of the Barbarity catalog, however. While many of the musicians Barbarity has worked with have hailed from Morocco, two of the principal participants in this album, Abdelkader Belkacem (vocals) and Abdelaziz Lamari (vocals, guitar, violin, oud), are from Algeria. The singing, and the most North African-esque elements of the album in general, are a little more subdued and placid than in the typical Barbarity production, which as a whole is less manic and in-your-face than usual here. Of course, there remain points where Western technology gains the upper hand; the opening section of "Matkhafsh," for example, is typical of innumerable post-1990 instrumental dance tracks from around the globe. There are, however, many other passages (particularly those in which Lamari's instrumentation is to the forefront) in which the forms co-exist and fade in and out of each other's radar more equally, and those tend to be the most interesting sections of this CD. ~ Richie Unterberger, All Music Guide
'The Only Way to Go Is Down'
What The Critics Say
Bassist and producer Bill Laswell's 30-year musical journey has taken him through the wilds of rock, hip-hop, funk, electronica, ethnic fusion, and hellacious noise, but in recent years it seems like he keeps gravitating back to the ethno realm. There's always been a thick vein of dark mysticism winding like a black rope through his various musical projects. The degree to which he buys into the reality of any of the transcendence he peddles is an open question, but one thing is certain: no one writes a prettier bassline, or delivers it with more elephantine authority, or brings together more beautifully matched singers and players. His latest under the group moniker Asana (the core of which is a duo consisting of Laswell and percussionist Karsh Kale, joined by a variety of South Asian collaborators) finds him exploring Indian classical and devotional themes as expressed by singers Kiran Ahluwalia, Ustad Sultan Khan, Asha Puthli, and others. The pattern is set early on: Kale builds a tasteful but generally restrained rhythmic bed on which Laswell lays down a bassline of dark, rich suppleness, and then someone starts singing. When that someone is Ahluwalia, the resulting sound is joyful and soaring; when it's Khan, the sound is grittier and more earthbound. And when it's Vidya Shah, it's a sharp, keening wail offset brilliantly by Laswell's meaty bass and a juddering jungle breakbeat. Every track is brilliant, each one in a different way. Highly recommended. ~ Rick Anderson, All Music Guide
'Bill Laswell and Material'
'Aftermathematics'
'Version 2 Version: A Dub Transmission'
What The Critics Say
These days, dubwise takes a back seat to dancehall in the reggae market. Go to a CD store that sells a lot of reggae -- perhaps in Kingston, Jamaica, perhaps in the Brixton section of London -- and you'll find a lot more new dancehall recordings than new dub recordings. Nonetheless, dub still has an audience, and not everyone who is recording dub in the 21st century favors a classic '70s-type sound along the lines of King Tubby, U-Roy, I-Roy, Big Youth, or I-Jah Man. There is also the neo-dub movement, which Bill Laswell has been a vital part of. Version 2 Version: A Dub Transmission finds the veteran bassist/producer offering yet another dose of his intriguing neo-dub experimentation. Instead of giving an exact replica of grooves from dub's classic era, a 49-year-old Laswell combines dub with modern electronica and takes it to a trippy, hypnotic, atmospheric place -- a place where the reggae beat interacts with ambient club/dance grooves. Version 2 Version doesn't cater to dub purists by any means; anyone who expects this 2004 release to sound exactly like King Tubby circa 1971 is bound to be disappointed. But then, anyone who is familiar with Laswell's history knows that expecting him to offer a carbon copy of old-school dubwise would be like expecting Ornette Coleman to play "Ornithology" exactly like Charlie "Bird" Parker played it in the late '40s. In other words, Laswell is known for shaking things up, which is why his vision of dubwise is experimental rather than traditional. Although not Laswell's best or most essential dub album, Version 2 Version is definitely rewarding -- and it's nice to see him maintaining his free spirit at 49. ~ Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
'Sacred System: Book of Exit Dub Chamber'
'Book of Exit: Dub Chamber 4'
What The Critics Say
One of the most prolific men in music, Bill Laswell doesn't release albums under his own name as often as he once did, which makes Book of Exit, the fourth in his "Dub Chamber" series, especially worthy of attention. While the previous "Dub Chamber" releases leaned more toward hard Jamaican-style dub music, with instruments dropping in and out and plenty of reverb and delay, this is altogether a different beat, in large part due to the vocals of Ethiopian singer Gigi. And what Laswell, Gigi, drummer/tabla player Karsh Kale, and percussionist Aiyb Dieng end up with is really ambient dub -- something lighter and more flowing because it adapts itself to the vocals. And Gigi is in excellent form, possibly better than on her own debut, whether on "Ethiopia" or the memorable, beautiful "Jerusalem," which mixes a slight R&B inflection with dub for something outstanding, beautiful, and ethereal. Laswell's light hand at the controls (even the disc's heaviest track, "The Lower Ground," is hardly the stuff of Lee "Scratch" Perry and King Tubby) works subtly -- shifts happen gradually, making for a sense of movement and focus about the pieces. And his work on guitar, bass, and keyboards is as accomplished as his colleagues. Slightly unearthly but always lovely, this dub chamber is a place worth exploring. ~ Chris Nickson, All Music Guide
