With a much celebrated, sonically and spiritually influential catalog of over 30 albums since the late 90s, it’s almost hard to imagine that shamanic practitioner and iconic tribal dance drummer/composer Byron Metcalf had left any potential collaborative stone unturned. Yet to his and our transcendent sonic glory, there was a powerful combination he had missed in his first quarter century of recording – the electrifying improvisational magic he could create pairing his rhythmic arsenal (frame drums, udu, clay pots, rattles, shakers, etc.) with the beautiful, melodic, sultry and soaring energy of a violin.
Quite serendipitous in its origin, Metcalf’s perfectly titled album Rituals of Passion – his first for Wayfarer Records - pairs his trademark hypnotic drumming with award winning, classically trained violinist Ari Urban. They complement their uniquely exotic dual sound with the hypnotic didgeridoo, synth textures, drones and pads of multi-instrumentalist (and fellow Arizona resident) Dashmesh. Though there are nine individual tracks, starting with the rumbling, powerfully percussive, soul-immersive drum/violin/didgeridoo dance “Ritual of Passion” and wrapping with the sensual, seductive and atmospheric “Her Deep Dream,” the collection might best be experienced as a 65-minute meditative tool experienced, absorbed and taken to heart and soul straight through.
True to Metcalf’s reputation as a visionary artist who can bring the simplest of ideas to intricate, multi-faceted fruition, the concept for Rituals of Passion took shape after he saw a trio featuring a violinist performing at a holiday party for new age/ambient artists. His imagination was sparked with the possibilities of what could happen with the contrast of the high notes of the violin with his low toned tribal drumming. He approached the girl who was performing that night about his idea, but never heard back from her. The Universe had bigger things in mind, and Byron met his perfect musical soul mate at a research forum for the healing arts, which included workshops in psychedelic research, training the brain and expanded states of consciousness. He saw the Florida based Ari perform and learned that among her many other mainstream endeavors, she conducts unique sound healing sessions and creates meditative instrumental music that fosters a sonic landscape of safety and surrender.
“When I heard Air perform for the first time, I was blown away,” Byron says. “I told her I had the vision of mixing drums and violin for years, and we later followed up and set up the sessions for what became Rituals of Passion. The project began with drum grooves I created. We had worked out our keys but had no actual melodies before she came to my studio. We did our meditation and some rituals and then stepped in and recorded. She was here for four days, and we worked four to six hours a day to emerge with 11 tracks during that time.
“Everything we did, every sound we made, was impromptu and totally spontaneous,” he adds. “Ari played along with my rhythms very intuitively. After we had all the parts, we started putting things together, sending files back and forth. We didn’t have exact words for the concept, but we intended to treat the experience as a sacred ceremony in some way because we’re both meditators and deep practitioners. The title came from the rituals we created in what was essentially a single long ceremony, and the passion and energy we bring to the recording. As fare as I know, no other artists have created the combination we have of the kind of drumming I do with the violin, which makes Rituals of Passion feel more groundbreaking and exciting. Ari and I are true kindred spirits on the same path.”
If listeners choose not to experience the album straight through from start to finish as recommended, but prefer to check out select tracks individually, there are a number of compelling entry points to consider. In addition to the aforementioned opening and closing tracks, key pieces Metcalf and Urban emerged with include the soulful, swaying and deeply immersive “The Invitation,” with her strings rising dynamically above his throbbing tribal drumming; the atmospheric, deeply expansive “The Memory Temple,” a powerful film score-like showcase for Urban’s most intensely emotional outpourings and high toned improvisations; and the adventurous, polyrhythmic, slightly mournful but ultimately empowering “Fearless Encounter.”
True to its title “Earth Walk” finds Metcalf marching heavily via pounding tribal drums and Urban’s sacred string energies swirl about, while “Thunder Goddesses” summons spirits from higher realms and “Veils of the Dervish” lift to reveal an intoxicating brew of intense drums with violin tones that are at first heavenly and easy swaying, then bring more spirited, unpredictable and freewheeling excitement.
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