I Too Am A Stranger (2024)

Description

Recorded entirely at ATA Studios and produced by label head Neil Innes, I Too Am A Stranger features the trio Sorcerers (led by Neil Innes) consisting of Joost Hendrickx, Neil Innes, and Richard Ormrod, with the assistance of regular percussion collaborator Danny Templeman and Olivia Cuthill. I Too Am A Stranger is a decidedly maximalist endeavor, an overlapping recording that is both sonically rich and infused with numerous intertwined influences: as always, the Ethiopian sound is at the forefront [Bebaynetu, Kid Mahout, She Who Perceives The Sounds Of The World], but there are also references to the declamatory soundtracks of chanbara with Fumio Hayasaka's baritone sax, the blurred vibrations of Gary Burton from the Vibrafinger era, and the striking wooden blocks of Moondog. In truth, there is so much in this album that appeals to so many different listeners: rhythms, exotic melodies, distant brass, internal and external references to the worlds of Jazz, library music, Ethio, etc., as well as the fully analog ATA sound that satisfies both DJs and audiophiles.