As much as I like the group and considering how often I buy their releases, you'd think I'd know quite a bit about them, but I don't. I know the two main forces behind the project initially were Eric Mouquet and Michel Sanchez. At some point, Sanchez left the project and Mouquet continued on his own. Of course the music is different without Sanchez, but it still has the ring of familiarity you would expect from a Deep Forest record. I think the biggest difference is in the performances of guest musicians on the actual albums. When Mouquet and Sanchez were working together, each song would feature different musicians and singers. Mouquet seems to pick a singer and maybe a few musicians for each album. Where Deep Forest records seemed to focus on different ethnic musical styles, the Mouquet albums seem to focus on a broader, yet more specific international brand. For example, the first three solo releases have been "Deep Brasil", "Deep Africa" and "Deep India". You can kinda get the idea reading the titles of the albums.
Of these three solo records, this is the only one I actually own. And the only one I've actually heard in full. I've streamed parts of "Deep Brasil" on Youtube, but I have yet to hear the entire album.
"Deep Africa" starts off with 'Amber Opening'. It slowly opens with some hypnotic beats and some lovely singing. It transitions to a strange louder, but slow, beat. The way the track opens up is interesting, but I don't really like it. I think it would've been more effective if it stayed subtle and trance-like. 'Dub Africa' is the 2nd song on the record. You hear a female vocalist calling out in an African language and the electronic synth answers with an intense and dense response. Once the beat kicks in, you get a mid-tempo developing built around the call you hear in the very beginning. On par with anything you've previously heard from Deep Forest, this is an amazing track and I love it!
'Mosika' leads off with a strange staggering beat and then punctuates with some horns sounds. Once the vocals kick in, the tone of the song moves into a more emotional direction. The vocalist has a moving voice and he leads the track through some dynamic changes. It builds and ebbs quite naturally. This is another satisfying tune. The next song is 'Yelele' and this one is instantly catchy. It's got a deeper, quicker rhythm and once it kicks in, you have a hard time keeping your feet still. Even though I have no idea what the vocalists are singing or even if I'm pronouncing the words right, I find myself singing along at the top of my voice. I just make the words up of course, but it's a lot of fun. You have a change up between the male and female vocalists throughout the track. This is a song I could hear playing in a club. It's got an amazing beat.
'Bedi' is a slower number. The opening percussion sound reminds me of an old Casio keyboard. One of those Samba sounds. Acoustic piano fills out the sound on this track and the vocalist delivers a touching ballad even if you have no idea what she's saying. In a similar fashion, 'Atali Wowo' comes across as a ballad even though it uses live drumming and a faster tempo. The vocal sampling on this track is reminiscent of earlier Deep Forest work. 'Wasis' is track number 7. At first, you think you're hearing an ambient sound track. This singer reminds me of a voice I've heard on previous songs from earlier albums. It picks up a bit during the chorus, but it reverts back to the slower pace during the verses. It's an enjoyable track and another one I like on this record.
'Zoulawa' is a different number. It has a weird start, but eventually evolves into something more familiar to a Deep Forest fan. The singer here reminds me of Wes Mouataba. 'Ho Mambo' starts off sounding like water and evolves into sounding like stars twinkling. Then it changes into a chanted vocals over a sparse beat. The transitions on this number are unique and quite at odds with traditional dance and electronic music. 'Alaake' has an almost Latin flavor to it. The horns are playful and fun throughout. The vocalist is a woman who chants a nursery rhyme of sorts during the chorus. An interesting tune.
'Lomo' can be described as vocalizing over some mood synth playing. It's a very loose and free form piece of music. 'How Long It Takes?' hearkens back to the first days of Deep Forest. You have some lovely ambient electronic music playing over an fantastic vocalization. The forest sounds are filtering down through the music and when the rhythm develops, it does so organically. The build is extremely well written and executed on this one. I absolutely love this tune. Easily my favorite on the entire disc.
'Tiko' is a slower number with some flute/sax keyboard sounds. It's a nice relaxing bit of music. 'Mosika Ending' is the final track on the album. At least it's listed as such with three additional tracks listed as bonus tracks. As such, it's predominantly built around a vocalization with some aesthetic synth chords played underneath as atmosphere.
'Mawa' is the first of the bonus tracks. It uses a simple beat and piano playing as the background for the vocalist. There are some horn sounds in there as well. This is a dramatic piece in that it creates a very specific vibe and feeling. 'Soweto' is the second bonus cut and this one starts off with some insect-like sounds playing. You also hear what sounds like bird calls. The lilting piano motif is haunting. The vocalist emerges and delivers a gospel fueled plea for tolerance and acceptance. It's a beautiful song! The final bonus track is a mix of 'Dub Africa'. The 'Dub Africa (Gaudi Remix)' starts off rather quiet and trance-like but it builds into a heavier beat. It maintains the trance quality and the groove is nice all the way through.
I hear a huge difference in this music and the old Deep Forest. On this record, Mouquet focuses more on the performances of his guests than on the electronica. There's not as much vocal manipulation. On previous Deep Forest records, the vocals are sampled, manipulated and played almost like the keyboard motifs or drum patches. But here, the performances are more organic. More natural. The rhythms are built around the song structures created by the musicians and singers who contribute to the songs. It sounds more collaborative.
I like this new direction and I think as much as I love older Deep Forest music, I love the evolution. It embraces the music they sought to protect and nurture in a new way. A way that might help it transition to modern times and find a global audience. This is worth finding and buying. I'm definitely going to get the other Deep Forest releases now. If I can find them for sale. My final words: A NEW DIRECTION, A NEW STYLE, A SIMILAR SOUND, A SATISFYING AND PLEASING DISCOVERY.
DEEP FOREST - DEEP AFRICA
01. Amber Opening
02. Dub Africa
03. Mosika
04. Yelele
05. Bedi
06. Atali Wowo
07. Wasis
08. Zoulawa
09. Ho Mambo
10. Alaake
11. Lomo
12. How Long It Takes?
13. Tiko
14. Mosika Ending
15. Mawa
16. Soweto
17. Dub Africa (Gaudi Remix)
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