KELTIK ELEKTRIK
Hotel Kaledonia
Greentrax/G2 (2002)
http://www.jackevans.net/

A couple years ago (1998), the Greentrax equivalent of Spikefarm released the first of three Keltik Elektrik album, Edinburgh Hogmanay Party Mix. It was guitared, programmed, and produced by techno-haggis Jack Evans, and also starred Scottish legends Jim Malcolm, Sandy Brechin, John Martin, Dougie Pincock, and Mairi Campbell. As an Underling, I never really figured the CD out, but thought maybe that it was a huge technically superb techno-spoof of recent Scottish folk music, a little rivulet cascade of elegant jokes. Then later, Jack Evans came out with another KE album, with another cast of musicians, and I wasn't too impressed by it. Now Jack and yet a different kilt brigade have come out with a third release called Hotel Kaledonia. It doesn't match the initial release for cast and elegant jokes, but it's still pretty perky.

Billed as Scottish party music, Jack is here joined by Finlay MacDonald on pipes and whistle, Chris Stout of Shetlandeers Fiddlers Bid, and clever Ken McBeth on his do-it yourself analog synthesizer (http://www.sospubs.co.uk/sos/feb00/articles/kenmcbeth.htm). These boys are less recognizable for the retro 90s listeners than the previous personnel have been, but the tunes here seem a little more familiar than on the last one ("jwytiwstsd" to use an acronym). "Waterloo Country" stands out as an uptempo pipe and slide guitar heavy instrumental that made me remember Jim Malcom's "Battle Of Waterloo" on Rohallion. Another familiar tune is "MacNeill's March," with a flaky intro and interesting comet-like synthesizer; is that accordion or synthesizer replacing Sandy Brechin? The peppy Breton "Disko Breizh" is good if only for a bit of geographic relief and is probably the most pop-like on the album; maybe the continuous trble it is more reminiscent of dark-wave pop! "The Shetland Session" is the MacDonald and Stout showcase, mixing a rubber band guitar and a noisy crowd scene with lots of pipes. At the end, KE has included an acoustic track as a memorial to the great singer Tony Cuffe.

I've had to look at the promo sheet (what you would see via the Trax site) to get a feeling for what is what here, as the liner notes are abysmal as far as deciphering anything...maybe that's part of the subtlety. From this sheet, I've learned that this is great party music. Sure it is! On the other hand, the good hearted joviality comes across as just that and a bit gentile as well when backed against recordings by Paul Mounsey and Martyn Bennett. These technoscots have employed deeper socio-political overtones and a greater of a sense of the Scottish physical and human landscape. You could think of that as more of a contrast than a deficit.

gennett at gorge dot net

The Columbia Gypsy