Making Tracks 2024 - Grand Junction, Paddington, London

First published in Songlines Magazine issue 203, December 2024.



Making Tracks 2024
Grand Junction, Paddington, London
3rd October 2024

Now on its fifth edition, Making Tracks is one of those not-to-be-missed occasions once autumn rolls around. Eight young artists, each from a different musical world, get together for two weeks of concerted collaboration, which continues to evolve across a two-week tour. This year featured participants from the UK, Syria/Germany, Denmark, Kenya, East Turkestan and Finland (see makingtracksmusic.org/fellows for the full list; they deserve more recognition than space allows here!).

For this tour’s penultimate concert at London’s Grand Junction, we were treated to two-and-a-half hours of unique collaborations interspersed with solo showcases from each musician. All eight remained on stage throughout, and it was always exciting to see who would stir to join in the next piece – will it be a medley of Newfoundland, Uyghur and Swedish songs? A composition for Arabic violin and tama (talking drum)? Hurdy-gurdy and Kenyan drums? It’s impressive just how accomplished these musical relationships were after such a short – albeit intense – gestation. Interspecies connections were also emphasised this year, with nature embraced as an equal participant, from transcriptions of whalesong to electronically-wrangled biosignals of sea-kale. The high, intricately decorated Victorian church ceilings of Grand Junction afforded interesting reverberations, highlighting acoustic elements that would have been lost in a less cavernous venue – a lovely marriage of sound and space.

Making Tracks has hit upon a winning formula, for the creation of both beautiful music, and lasting artistic partnerships. In his opening speech, director Merlyn Driver referred to the concert as “nourishing music” – this really is the sort of project that can achieve meaningful new musical directions.


Photo: Making Tracks 2024 at Grand Junction, by Andrea Terzuoli. L-R: Nina Harries, Anna McLuckie, Shohret Nur, Christian Mohr Levisen, Kasiva Mutua, Ossi Raippalinna, Ayman Hlal (Helen Anahita Wilson is obscured behind Hlal).

The Kutimangoes - Afrotropism

First published in Songlines Magazine issue 153, December 2019.

The Kutimangoes
Afrotropism
The Kutimangoes (40 mins)

Although Danish seven-piece the Kutimangoes originally aimed for a crossroads between Afrobeat and jazz, further adventures have edged their sound further west towards Mali and Burkina Faso. Now on their third album, their music is built up from Mande dance band riffs with added Fela-inspired horn lines and topped off with wild jazz solos. Add in a few more influences from here and there and bring it all together with some complex percussion patterns and the Kutimangoes are ready to rock.

The second track, ‘A Snake is Just a String’, shows this off well: the guitar groove is very Songhoy Blues (who seem an important influence this time around), but we’re also taken to New Orleans with the horns and Morocco with Gnawa-inspired rhythms in the percussion. There’s also an amazing, distorted synth solo sounding like a space-age Hendrix.

However, a few too many of the tracks descend into more atmospheric vibes and vague melodies drenched in shimmering reverb. That’s good for the occasional breather, but it occurs a little too frequently here; it often feels like you're waiting around until you can get back into dance-mode, where the band really shine. Afrotropism is cool enough, but at their best, the Kutimangoes can be red hot.

The KutiMangoes - Made in Africa

First published in Songlines Magazine issue 125, March 2017.

The KutiMangoes
Made in Africa
Tramp Records (46 mins)

The KutiMangoes started with a simple musical goal in mind: Fela Kuti meets Charles Mingus. Such giants in their field are inevitably impossible to live up to, but this Danish five-piece certainly give it a good go.

For their second album, the KutiMangoes are joined by a special guest, Burkinabé vocalist Patrick Kabré. With this collaboration comes the addition of many more influences from Mandé styles. As well as recording in the studio in Copenhagen, sessions were also captured on location in Bamako and Ouagadougou – hence the album’s title.

From that process comes a riotous album. It has some really special touches: you can’t go too wrong with an electric trombone solo, as heard on the track ‘This Ship Will Sink’. Another highlight is ‘Hunting’, a piece based on Malian hunters’ music. Featuring guest Diakaridja Mariko, who provides vocals and donso ngoni (hunter’s harp), it builds up a solid groove with some great interplay between sax and Rhodes.

The addition of Mandé music to Afrobeat works well and sets it apart from the crowd, although the jazz element of the group’s style is downplayed a little here, and only particularly evident now and then. But don’t let that stop you dancing!