*. Aktuala .* (Reissue 2013 + Bonus)

Album: Tappeto Volante (1976)(Reissue 2013 + 1 Bonus)
Genre: Prog Folk (Avant Folk/Free Improvisation/Ethnic)  /  Italy

Aktuala’s final release shows a band that seems to have run out of steam since their debut, or possibly they simply don’t have anything new to say. This is pretty much an instrumental album, although there are some barely perceptible spoken-word passages and a bit of chanting. The wide array of African and Eastern instruments present on the first album are here again, and a few new ones to boot. But they mostly appear as showcased ‘solos’, not as integrated arrangements. In some places like “Hare” and “Mediterraneo” the players just seem to be noodling. At other times the sounds are more cohesive (“Echo Raga” in particular), but nearly all the songs appear to be unfinished thoughts that were never fleshed out. And indeed except for “Ugula Baliuè African Planet” and “Waruna”, none of the thirteen tracks here even reaches four minutes. “Waruna” is quite beautiful however, and recalls the elaborated Eastern sounds of the flute as well as the African and Eastern drums of ”Sarah' Ngwega” from the band’s debut. “Ugula Baliuè African Planet” is more frenzied, almost martial at times, and the flute players actually try too hard and end up sounding rushed and almost impatient. The rest of the tracks here are pretty conservative, good but not attention-grabbing like the band’s debut was. I still think this is a good record, mostly because the wide array of instruments and broad range of sounds make for an interesting and eclectic sampler of all sorts of world music sounds. But that’s what this really is – a sampler, not a truly cohesive body of carefully arranged compositions. If you want to hear Aktuala in all their glory theit self-titled debut is the way to go. This one is decent but doesn’t reach the heights of that first record, and as such is worthy only of three stars (barely), and a mild recommendation. 

Review by "ClemofNazareth" (Prog Archives).

RATING:  7 / 10

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