Club d’Elf

The psychedelic cover art and the brain-like maze image on the disc itself alert one to the fact that this is an unusual record. Indeed it is. Club d’Elf is the brainchild of bassist Mike Rivard, who enlisted a pile of talent for this recording that took eight(!) years to complete. The only name I recognized among the 15 musicians (including two turntablists) in this Boston-based collective was John Medeski, the keyboardist in Medeski, Martin & Wood; however, most of the others have worked with such artists as David Bowie, John Hiatt and Peter Gabriel in one capacity or another. With seven live recordings in hand, Rivard was finally able to realize this complicated studio project that utilized numerous overdubs to create what the band describes as “live dub-trance-groove excursions, incorporating electronica, hip-hop, funk and free jazz as well as Moroccan and West African trance traditions.” Occasional passages reminiscent of Pink Floyd, Red Krayola and the electronic musings of Morton Subotnick also pop up. The “Moroccan tradition” comes courtesy of Brahim Fribgane, whose oud and percussion work complement this electronic trance music. Put it on and go for a ride.