Much cultivated in the UK where it reflects the state of interbreeding of british society, the fusion of electronic and traditional music doesn't always end up with exciting musical projects, the southern sounds often used as spice for background noise without much relievo.

Coming from a classical background, Khaled Arman and Francesco Russo escaped, by definition, this " sound plunderers " class : their origin (Afghan for the former and Neapolitan for the latter), their artistic journey, their curiosity nourish their Kabul Workshop compositions, electronic extension of the musicians projects. Far from being the fruit of an odd fusion, the tracks created by this sound research workshop put technology at the service of melody, of a composition work.

The machine carries the breath of traditional instruments and voices; flexible, it allows the pair to extend their field of expression in an artistic language thousands of years old. It is as a barge which allows the listener to glide from track to track.

As Talvin Singh or Nitin Sawhney, Khaled Arman and Francesco Russo are some kind of boatmen.

(Michel Masserey, journalist, Le Temps, Geneva)

DISCOGRAPHY

"TRIGANA" (NDCD 081) Night & Day
Electro-World, the perfect term for the Kabul Workshop project. An original mix elaborated by 2 musicians, an Italian (Francesco Russo) & an Afghani (Khaled Arman) who put the technology of electronic music to the service of melody. Their brilliant compositions and their intelligent use of Eastern instruments & machines give us a great album.

 

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