Description
Ironically, what makes The Tony Allen Experiments such a delightful listen is not this aspect, but the distinctive fusion of the drummer’s loose-but-tight rhythms, and the almost sun-bright colours of the duo’s hazy, early morning melodies. This is most apparent on the tumbling Bobby Konders synthesizer settings, stretched-out organ chords and muted P-funk influences of “NG Theme”, the fast-paced drums, druggy arpeggios, intergalactic effects and Sueno Latino style piano riffs of “TA-Storm”, or the head-in-the-clouds, Ambient House-goes-Afrobeat shuffle of standout closer “The Sun Returns”.
These, and the superb “Open Paths”, where classic Italian House elements such as loved-up organ stabs and White Isle-friendly piano motifs are effortlessly blended with a punch Allen routine, perfectly encapsulate Nu Guinea’s distinctive retro-futurist fusion approach. It’s one that, on this fine album at least, guarantees spellbinding results.
