Mike Tamburo Language of the Birds and Other Fantasies
New American Folk Hero [1]/The Music Fellowship [2]
Quantity is not always synonymous with quality. When Merzbow released 50 records wrapped in a suitcase a lot of people were fascinated by the concept, but I honestly don’t think many people were that impressed by the actual sounds. One of my friends who is a true Merzbow fan came as far as to the 34th disc but after that didn’t have the energy to continue any further so decided to sell the whole thing, with a substantial profit one can assume. When multi-instrumentalist and film maker Mike Tamburo out of Kensington, Pennsylvania releases seven CD-Rs, one DVD with eleven films and two live shows and one 72-sides long booklet with his texts it is initially the stunning packaging, the passion and the sheer amount of art that impress.
A deeper exploration of the sound world presented displays Tamburo’s indisputable talent of mastering both the primitive American folk tradition, melodious minimalism, classic winding guitar playing and Indian ragas. This is alternated with organic, slow dragging sound landscapes that exude equal parts drone and noise. In many cases we find Tamburo using an expression that has a lot to do with contemporary guitarists such as Jack Rose, Glenn Jones, Sir Richard Bishop, Steffen Basho-Junghans and James Blackshaw. But Tamburo rarely only investigates the frameworks and boundaries of the guitar, but also employs lots of effects, clarinet, bells, organ, cymbals, metal items, electronics, harmonica, dulcimer, exotic wind instruments, harp, accordion and probably more than I can imagine. It is an ambitious musical adventure that despite its wide range holds together amazingly well and along with Tamburos sour realistic poetry and abstract film art constitutes an unknown, modern masterpiece that in some ways maybe is suitable for an edition of 250 copies, but that should be heard and experienced by many more.
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