jk

Uakti (WAHK-chee) is a Brazilian ensemble led by Marco Antônio Guimarães, who writes rhythmically oriented minimalist compositions in the similiar vein of Michael Nyman, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass. The ensemble is most known for their use and construction of home-made instruments, many of them mallet instruments, out of wood, metal, and PVC. In 1999, the group collaborated with Philip Glass to perform some of his more characteristic pieces. While Glass’s output at this point in his career is not only distinguished by heavy repetition within his compositions but also amongst them, these recordings represent an particular high-point in what is otherwise an unvaried and predictable part of the composer’s oeuvre. There is the career-defining “Metamorphosis” here in grand form, but otherwise all the compositions are tailored for the Uakti ensemble. The cross-polination of Glass’s enchanting melodic work with the organically ethereal arrangements by Guimarães and company escapes the stodgy, self-referencial and self-reliant moves made by Glass from the mid-80’s onwards. There is lightness here that is unprecedented in any other Glass piece and I would not hesitate to attribute it to the the beautiful work by Uakti. The instrumentation allows Glass’s music to transcend its standard appeals by shedding some of the academic baggage tied to him (albeit by himself). I can think of few people who would not enjoy at least some of these pieces, and it ranks high among my personal favorites of his, even alongside some of his most groundbreaking work (see Einstein on the Beach).

Fun fact: The name of the group comes from a Tukano native South American legend. Uakti was a mythological being who lived on the banks of the Rio Negro. His body was full of holes, which, when the wind passed through them, produced sounds that bewitched the women of the tribe. The men hunted down Uakti and killed him. Palm trees sprouted up in the place where his body was buried, and the people used these to make flutes that made enchanting sounds like those produced by the body of Uakti. (thanks wiki)

Download Here!