It doesn’t get much more spiritual than Voices if you’re into the whole field-recordings-of-ethnic-musics gig. Much like the Gonzo & Lowdjo triple-tape series, also released on Discrepant, this splendid LP by Kink Gong (aka Laurent Jeanneau) transports the listener to an entirely new habitat and makes no apologies for the lack of the usual noise/indie/experimental signposts. Jeanneau has a knack for arranging the din into palatable shapes, though this is far from easy listening. You have to believe. The first track reminds me of “Water Wings” from that second Dan Deacon record, if that matters. The looping becomes overwhelming, for sure, which renders the subsequent ambient-ish portions of the record that much more welcome. The source material for this gem was collected in the southern regions of Yunnan and Guizhou in China as well as in Sapa, North Vietnam, and Phongsaly, but that’s not important right now. Just tune in and blast off to one of the most interesting recordings of the young year. WOW.
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