Invisible System - Invisible System: Bamako Sessions '2018

Tracks list

Invisible System is the pseudonym and brainchild of producer Dan Harper, whose
return to Mali has spawned an album of great creativity. Collaborating with some
of Bamako’s finest musicians, he seamlessly fuses traditional with modern
whilst keeping alive the true essence of Malian music.

Dan Harper aka Invisible System rose to fame with his internationally acclaimed
Ethiopian fusion albums and has collaborated and performed with the likes of
Mahmoud Ahmed, Justin Adams and Juldeh Camara. This new chapter finds Dan
returning to the musical powerhouse of Mali where he spent three years as an aid
worker from 1999, met his Malian wife and became a father. The experience of
living in Mali sowed the seed for this project so many years later.

On his return to Mali, made in part possible by an Arts Council grant, Dan based
himself in Samé, part of the green forested edge of the capital Bamako and
the region where his wife was born and raised. Here he met up with some local
griot musicians as well as the renowned Malian singer/songwriter Sidi Touré
and other musician friends. It was clear from the start that the meeting of some
of Bamakos finest musicians with Dans visionary production skills was going to
result in something very special and push the boundaries of Malian music.

The recording sessions took place over a month inside a rented house which Dan
treated with mattresses for acoustic control. In-keeping with the true organic
nature of the project, the musicians arrived at various times and jammed with
Dan to produce tracks on the fly, some stemming from their initial ideas and
some from Dan’s - both parties keen to hear and work with the
other’s culture and style. As with previous Invisible System projects,
everything is a first take and improvised on the spot making it spontaneous and
real.

Remarkably, they managed to improvise forty-eight sketches/tracks in three weeks
which were then sculpted, edited, mixed, produced and added with dub style bass
by Dan in the UK after laying down some guitar, synth and beats in Bamako. This
Riverboat release is an instrumental album of handpicked mixes from these
sessions, and includes the beautiful sounds of the kora, ngoni and balafon. The
combination of these ancient Malian musical traditions with the modern sounds
and production wizardry of Dan is seamless, as the music pays respect to
tradition in a unique fusion setting.

In the same way that the Invisible System album Punt (Made In Ethiopia) received
worldwide acclaim when it was released in 2009, the Bamako Sessions draws on the
many musical influences of Dan, who has the unique gift of being able to look
back in time while keeping the music relevant today. Like all great
collaborations, the true essence of this album lies in the mutual respect,
friendship and interest between the musicians, giving each track a palpable
sense of enjoyment, energy and creativity.



Tracklist:
01. Invisible System - Ndiaro
02. Invisible System - Samé
03. Invisible System - Banjougou
04. Invisible System - Koyaté
05. Invisible System - Koroke Nommos
06. Invisible System - Zéna
07. Invisible System - Bamako
08. Invisible System - Dogoke Jeli
09. Invisible System - Songhai
10. Invisible System - Bambara
11. Invisible System - Mali Griot

Related artists