- Freewheeling dub experiments from Valentina Magaletti and Al Wootton.
- I have no idea whether Holy Tongue, the inspired new collaboration between London drummer Valentina Magaletti and Al Wootton (FKA Deadboy) plan to play live, but god, I hope they do. The duo's new record for Trule sub-label Amidah is full of the sort of agile groupthink that is the point and potential of live, improvised collaboration.
On "Misinai," Magaletti and Wootton speed up and relax in tandem, the drums' free yet steady clatter mixing with Wootton's Space Echo. This is the kind of thing you simply can't program. Wootton, for his part, does an admirable job letting Magaletti's fascinating rhythms steer the ship. He adds a roots-inspired bassline here and there but mostly focuses on spacious dub texture.
The end result is in line with unclassifiable early '80s units like Liquid Liquid and 23 Skidoo, groups that are often name-checked but rarely imitated, because, well, it's tough to mix the mind-warping experiments emanating from Jamaican studios like Black Ark with the anything-goes attitude of post-punk. Somehow, Holy Tongue makes it feel natural. Their debut 12-inch is a thrilling study in live, dance-dub minimalism.
TracklistA1 Misinai
B1 Emet
B2 Erev