Mashu - Elephants In Your Head? (1996)

Continuing a long tradition of Canterbury 'supergroups', Mashu evolved out of a decade-long musical collaboration between Hugh Hopper and Mark Hewins, first officially documented on their duo release Adreamor (1995, Impetus Records), taken from recordings made at an improvised gig at London's Vortex Club in April 1994. With the arrival of former Gong percussionist Shyamal Maïtra, the idea of an improvising collective making extensive use of electric instruments and Midi technology was taken a step further. Mashu made its debut at London's Vortex Jazz Bar on February 26th, 1995.

The new concept was launched on an inaugural European tour in April 1995 (with guest appearances by saxists Elton Dean, Didier Malherbe and Frank van der Kooij) during which the contents of the subsequent (and so far only) Mashu album, Elephants In Your Head?, was recorded. Obviously the addition of India-born Maïtra to the original duo has added a totally new, exotic flavour to their music, although it is still based to a large extent on the sonic possibilities of Hewins' Midi guitar, with Hopper's bass and Maïtra's vast array of percussion providing a rock-solid rhythmic foundation.

Mashu's music is one that has to be listened to without prejudice. It is a journey that takes the listener through a wide variety of musical genres and atmospheres that defies classification. One minute it's jazz, the next one it's heavy rock, ethnic music or new-age… Transposing the original Canterbury spirit into the nineties' global music environment, Mashu break all musical barriers while retaining the unique qualities and instantly recognisable sound of all three instrumentalists.

The album was mastered in June 1996, but wasn't released until February 1997. In the meantime, a second tour took the trio back to Brussels, Paris and Bresse-sur-Grosne in November 1996, and further series of gigs were performed in November 1997 and April 1998. Since then, Mark Hewins and Shyamal Maïtra have continued without Hopper, in new partnerships involving - among others - singer Carol Grimes and bassist Keith Bailey.

~ calyx.perso.neuf.fr