Banco de Gaia Does Floyd, Crimson, H'wind

Groundbreaking worldbeat/techno fusioneer drops new CD in Sept. does a pair of rare US gigs in August.

By Blurt Staff

It's been some time since Stateside fans of Britain's Banco de Gaia have been privy to the ambient dub legend's edgy fusion of modern trance and downtempo techno beats with huge dollops of Tibetan, Eastern and Arabic and other transcontinental rhythms. Led by mastermind Toby Marks, its continually evolving, globally-inspired electronica has been propelling the masses to dance all over the world. So on Sept. 22 Banco de Gaia will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with the release of the double-disc set, Memories Dreams Reflections on Disco Gecko Recordings (distributed in the U.S. by Super D). Two West Coast dates have been announced and a full U.S. tour is currently being planned: August 14 at Social Hollywood in LA, and August 15 at the Beloved festival in Tidewater, Oregaon.

Banco de Gaia's music crosses genres, sometimes layering rock, reggae, and trance textures on top of exotic and indigenous melodies, creating an aural tapestry that is both mesmerizingly hypnotic and instantly accessible. Disc One of the two disc set consists of cover versions of Pink Floyd ("Echoes"), Hawkwind ("Spirit of the Age") and King Crimson ("Starless"), and reworkings of early songs, while the second CD contains live tracks recorded over the last two decades. Memories Dreams Reflection is a retrospective of sorts that doesn't quite look back at its history as it looks through its legacy. From the airy reggae rhythms of 1992's "Tempra" ("Always one of my favourite early tunes," noted Marks), to the expansive atmospherics of 1992's "Terra Om" ("I always rather liked the obvious Pink Floyd influence in the synth playing."), to the ready for the midnight dance floor beat of "Soufie (Now That's What I Call 2009)" ("The original was very ambient/downtempo so this version... goes for a very cheesy euro-trance style for a bit of fun."), the originals from the first disc are a diverse sampling of the epic tracks for which Banco de Gaia is known. The live tracks of disc two are culled from its legendary performances, including "China", "Celestine" and its big dance hit "Last Train to Lhasa".

Initially inspired by the Acid House movement in Europe in the late 80s, Marks began Banco de Gaia in 1989 and recorded his first album Medium in 1991. Seminal releases including 1994's Maya, 1995's Last Train to Lhasa and his latest album 2006's Farewell Ferengistan, kept him at the forefront of the electronic world. He has worked with a variety of musicians, ranging from the legendary saxophonist Dick Parry who played on Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon to Anglo-Egyption singer Natacha Atlas to cutting-edge dance pioneers Jack Dangers (Meat Beat Manifesto) and Fluke.