The didgeridoo is one of the most ancient primal musical instru-
ments on earth. It symbolises the Aboriginal dreamtime legend
better than anything else, amazing what sound can come out of
a hollow piece of eucalyptus or native bamboo trunk. No one
can be certain, but it is estimated that Aboriginals in Arnhem
Land started playing didgeridoos approximately 1500 years
ago, and from there various tribes adopted them too and they
became a customary part of ancient Aboriginal rituals and fes-
tivities. Technically speaking, the didgeridoo is actually con-
sidered to be a brass instrument, even though it is made out of
wood. Obviously there is only one note you can play on a didge-
ridoo and the tone and pitch is the only thing that ever changes.
Despite such limitations, the didgeridoo has been used as a back
up instrument in a variety of recording settings by many Austra-
lian musicians, both black and white. One of the rare times when
the didgeridoo featured as the stand alone showpiece instrument
was on an absolutely brilliant and totally uncommercialised album
recorded by a white australian, ANDREW LANGFORD. LANGFORD
circa 1995 was the operator of ORIGINAL DREAMTIME GALLERY
in Alice Springs. In that same year, he recorded this wonder-
ful exhibition of powerful and atmospheric didgeridoo playing,
it is hard to believe that a caucasion would have been able to
poccess the technique and inspiration to pull this off. Lang-
ford `blew` a beauty of an album, and the only back up he had
to record it was Peter Lowson on percussion and some enviro-
mental can music to provide a soundtrack. Half the 13 songs
are just Langford on his own basically, and a few of them
are really awe-inspiring stuff. If he would`ve had a drum-
mer with him as well providing a rhythm section, the excep-
tionally innovative LOST AVIATOR would be the best piece of
progressive rock in recorded history. All this out of a bud-
get recording studio in Alice Springs. Langford makes his
didgeridoo sound like an aeroplane and times his playing
perfectly with the pre-recorded soundtrack featuring real
time narration from a radio control room. Langford warms
up his lips to feverish levels for the mesmerizing YANKU
TIME, probaly the most repetitious and `keyless` tune.
LURITJA sees Langford playing at his quickest and with
the most dynamic changes, while the eery and bone chil-
ling SERPENTINE GORGE is just one of the most lowdown
and dirty didgeridoo riffs you will ever hear which is
backed up by well mixed soundtrack music of the sound
of a running creek. SOARING EAGLES, THE HUNTER,
HONEY ANTS, YIDAKI, TANAMI FROGS, SOUTHERN
CROSS & CAMEL TREK are great songs capturing the
spirit of the Dreamtime legend to the max, the song
LITTLE SISTERS is perhaps the only slight letdown be-
cause Peter Lowson`s percussion drowns out Langford`s
didgeridoo somewhat. But all in all, it`s an album of
`think outside the square` innovation which should be
for sale in a lot more places than just Alice Springs.
Langford could never repeat it but he doesn`t need to
anyway. It was released in 1995 on the Larrakin label.
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