Ethiobraz

The traditional Ethiopian musicians of Addis Ababa's Fendika Azmari Bet have joined forces with Paal Nilssen-Love's pan-Scandinavian group Large Unit and members of Dutch punks The Ex to create one almighty 22-piece, avant garde, Ethio-trad-punk, free jazz, big band noisefest. Now there's a collection of adjectives that will either leave you salivating or reaching for the ear-plugs.

I was all up for it - which is why I was a bit stumped at the quiet opening. It's not until the middle of the third track that it really kicks up a gear, and even then, it feels as though there is something lacking. Musically, the group work really well. The Zappa-like jazz rock freak-outs and Ethiopian vibes complement each other as well as contrasting, and the best moments come when chaos threatens - but never quite manages - to take over completely. All the elements are there to make it an exciting musical explosion, but the end result falls a bit flat. Even though the album is a live recording from 2018, it lacks that passionate live energy - an important factor when the noise becomes challenging. Ethiobraz is a successful proof-of-concept and the group hope to tour Europe in June (COVID-19 dependant) - maybe two years of percolating will have imbued them with that extra added spark.