The Dorf / Phill Niblock - Baobab [Umland Records 031]

Incoming from the head offices of the Umland Records-imprint only recently was "Baobab", a massive 2CD live album produced by the hub and label center piece project The Dorf. With the first, and title bearing, part of the longplayer The Dorf is taking on Phill Niblock's "Baobab", re-imagining the original composition in a quite intense way which finally results in a roughly 46+ minutes spanning Drone masterpiece solely created by acoustic instruments which in itself is an astounding thing, even more so if the large scale group taking this on is more at home in (Free) Jazz and Improv - styles usually buzzing with energy and movement rather than focusing on static, yet somewhat ever moving and evolving intensity. The second piece, dubbed "Echoes", sees The Dorf coming back to three of their own compositions, delivering a dramatic, almost Classical opening with the expressive, score'esque and somewhat surreal, outerworldly and trans-dimensional piece that is "Rich", followed by the hyperdensity of "F-Lan" which provides layers and layers atop of layers of a gazillion sonic events per second, Opera-resembling female non-vocalisms included, before "Split" presents a fever'ish, Trance-inducing, yet nightmare'ish groove for dancing dervishes and other dark, ancient rituals in which only the chosen few are allowed to participate. 100% recommended. Get.