Roei Hermon: Dálum (digital outlets)

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Sunshine
Roei Hermon: Dálum (digital outlets)

According to Israel experimentalist and multi-instrumentalist Roei Hermon the title track here comes from a Polynesian word for inside the mind, and he drew inspiration from Ornette Coleman's Lonely Woman.

We buy the latter but suspend judgment about that former claim. The accent above the “a” raises a few alarm bells in itself not to mention the letter “d” being in there too.

Experimental musicians who embrace concepts of world music ideas sometimes simply appropriate or conflate for their own purposes, but in the interests of simply addressing the music we will let others take up the banner – or cudgels.

We'll just say, “Hmmm . . .”

These 10 pieces on synths with trumpet, organ, piano and additional percussion in a couple of places by Rejoicer, a fellow traveller, are often charming bagatelles of melody and moods.

Some are almost pop-like (Sunshine), others more akin to incidental music on soundtracks (Preemies, the dramatic then gloopy Keter) and then there are pieces like Savion which suggest cool jazz piped into a space-station.

There is gentle ambient drift (Blue and Green) alongside more straight-ahead electronica-kissed instrumentals (the slightly woozy Najd al-Walid).

Not a major discovery but quietly diverting.

It was the rather suspect “Polynesian” hook that drew us.

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You can hear (some of) these tracks at bandcamp here. You can download the whole album also.


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