So It Was (...& So It Goes Remixed)

Number three for Kaya Project, And So It Goes features once again guitarist Seb Taylor and wordless singer/keyboardist Natasha Chamberlain laying down their delicate ethnic-chillout vibe, surrounded by a deep-running cast of guest musicians and singers. Of particular note are the vocal contributions of Irina Mikhailova and Randolph Matthews, the latter adding a nice "African reggae" vibe to "Zema Lasu," an understated highlight. Some tracks ("Obsidian Beats" jumps to mind) are dancefloor friendly, but most of the album unfolds in listening (as opposed to dancing) mode. The duo lines up worldbeat influences, from klezmer clarinet to Arabic violins, Indian percussion, and a lot more. Things tend to get a bit overcrowded at times, and the album runs long at over 78 minutes, but it sure does the job when it comes to taking you someplace else, grooving. Strangely, though each track takes a slightly different approach, the listener comes out of And So It Goes with a feeling of over-homogeneity. This may be due to Taylor's omnipresent guitar playing, or simply the fact that in the course of 80 minutes, the music remains extremely faithful to its world-electro ideals. In any case, it's a fine if expansive effort, with "Always Waiting" and "Zema Lasu" standing out among the songs, and "Jamming with Marco," "Saranghi Breaks," and "Awaken" being instrumental highlights. ~ François Couture, Rovi