In Search of the Lost City of the Monkey God
ATA Records (42 mins)
The Sorcerers’ second album presents itself as the ‘soundtrack to the motion picture,’ but don’t be hopping on IMDB just yet – In Search of the Lost City of the Monkey God isn’t a real film that exists on our plane of existence. Rather, it lives in the musicians’ minds as the inspiration for this groove-filled concept album.
As with any film soundtrack worth its weight, the music here is built up of motifs that reoccur and evolve throughout. The main influence is clearly the Latin-edged Ethio-jazz of Mulatu Astatke, evident in the pentatonic melodies and shape of the compositions; the prominent bass clarinet is very Wayne Shorter-esque at times too. Add in the atmospheric, sonic world-building inspired by the distinctive library music sound of the 1960s, and it all has the evocative, cinematic style of classic action-adventure movie soundtracks. A mix of moods means that the album is as well-suited in its bombastic funk sequences (perfect for a car chase) as its tense, brooding passages (what’s looming in the dark?).
Although the concept of a soundtrack to an imaginary film is a bit naff, the album itself immerses the listener in a swamp of jazz, funk and African influences – and it really is quite fun.