Dan (guitar, bass, keys, samples, programming, percussion, vox, didge : engineering/production/composition) Vox : Mimi, Desta, Teremag, Tsedenia (Kora Award Winner) and Mahmoud Ahmed Ethiopia's main man & BBC3 award winner (world music), Dennis Wint (Rhythmites & Progression); Wind & Brass : Feleke and Johnny (Mahmoud's sax player); Traditional violin (masinko), harp (krar) and flute (washint) by Leykun, Teremeg & Jonny; all psy'ed up + various floating contributors from bands mentioned on projects and collusions etc e.g. Ozrics Ed, Static/Ozrics Joie, Mervus, Captain Sensible, Dubulah (Transglobal, Natasha Atlas, Temple of Sound, Simon Hinkler (The Mission), Zion Train, Rythmites Dennis, Justin Adams (Robert Plant) & Juldeh, Hilaire (Baba Maal), Martin (Baka Beyond & Outback) etc, extra bass Bos (Boswell & Warp graffiti art), Dendron, Junkwaffle, Animals & Men)
Influences
Blimey - how many!? Olders were like gong and black sabbath / the neph and the cult etc; electro e.g. William Orbit and Prodigy; all the psy/prog/dance stuff from me yocal mates static and ozrics to focus and edgar winter!(some!) - the on-u stuff from african head charge and dubsyndicate; older normal U2 and the cure years ago; ; glam the Antz; Tribal Bow Wow Wow; Afro Habibe Koite and Gigi etc; World Lec Transglobal and matey Toby Banco etc; Spiritual bonkerness Loop Gs; Reggae Zion T, Bob M, Tiken Jah etc; dub sly n robbie and mr tubby, Guitars and Funk Chillie Peppers, Chameleons, Julian Cope; Brian Eno and Roxy Music; etc etc can't be bothered to type any more! ambient eno. and anything that fuses new or makes my hair stand on end or grabs my soul and rocks it or good powerful healing
Sounds Like
God knows! My own stuff - dreams, thoughts, feels and moves, etc put in a blender unconsciously with the above influences, added and then mixed into another form etc etc
Founder Dan Harper from nr Bath/Box/Frome moved up north, to Brighton, to Brixton, to Mali, to Ethiopia (as an aid worker), and back to Somerset clocking up many members and sounds and a growing and moving studio base.
Mixing dance, psy, trance, rock, funk, world, dub, dnb etc with African vocalists and traditional instruments. Remixes done for Zion Train, Jesus Jones, Baka Beyond etc; writing for Suns of Arqa, and collaborations with some of the bands below e.g. Ozrics, Static, Zion Train, Temple of Sound etc and even good old captain sensible and Simon Hinkler from The Mission. On the African side recorded with e.g. Mamoud Ahmed recent BBC3 World Music Award winner and polishing it off with e.g. Justin Adams of Robert Plant / Strange Sensation and Joie&Ed from Static/Ozrics. Recent new collaborations with Hilaire (Baba Maal) and Juldeh who plays with Justin.
Also working slowly! on a famine relief cd compilation with Eat Static Merv with a fusion of sounds from e.g. Robert Plant and Strange Sensation, Banco de Gaia, Temple of Sound, Zion Train etc etc as well as me and Merv
I have just finished doing Temple of Sound/Transglobal Dubulah's album with him in Ethiopia, we had one track on the BBC's Long Way Down with Ewan McGregor (Realworld). Invisible System, Punt (Made In Ethiopia) album just released on Harper Diabate Records - radio play started e.g. DJ Pathaan, BBC, New Zealand Radio and articles etc coming in FRoots, Songlines, reviews in many others.
Live gigs to come this year just finishing off live more jam / reggae / dub / dance / dnb set with Dennis from the Rhythmites on vox/mc with an album there near completed as well. Soon to be playing before some of the bands above and warming up some local slots. I am reviewing gear and producing samples for Future and Computer Music; teaching music tech; managing youth music/art/social development programmes etc inbetween some live engineering and marketing my own microphones (www.harperdiabate.com) - currently out in many major studios and with known producers and engineers + musicians. And winning awards alongside rave reviews - check them out.
All demos on here - to finish - more coming onto www.invisiblesystem.com when I can find a bit of time.
Also check out Inverse Gravity Vehicle - album I have been helping Joie Hinton (Eat Static/Ozrics) to finish off - ready a couple of days after I write this...)
Just created an Invisible System facebook Group and facebook Page with info and free tunes etc. Is also a Harper Diabate Group for the label.
So much happened since this - BBC airplay, Radio New Zealand interview and airplay, USA airplay, reviews coming and articles in FRoots, Rock'n'Reel, Songlines, World Music Central etc (one below) get on the facebook page and group for all updates and info :)
Teresa, World Music Network, USA
Punt Made in Ethiopia
Invisible System
Harper Diabate Records
How an aid worker, who spent eight years in Mali and Ethiopia, became the nomadic record producer, composer, musician, sound engineer and all around champion for equality and democracy in the underbelly of the fat, bureaucracy-laden aid organizations in the third world is a mystery only Invisible System's mastermind Dan Harper can answer. But it's clear from his liner notes, Dan's message is pretty clear, "Fascist dictators and insincere people beware..." Turning that frustration into music, Dan's found an international stage for some remarkable Ethiopian artists and an electrifying amalgum of sound with his debut recording Punt Made in Ethiopia.
Dipping into a stew of dub, dance, rock, trance and Ethiopian traditions, Punt plays host to a guest lineup that includes Ethiopiques's Mamoud Ahmed and Bahta Gerehiwot, Hilaire Shabby, Justin Adams, Joie Hinton, Ed Wynne, Dubulah, Elmer Thudd and Gary Woodhouse among others. In addition to the recording, mastering, engineering and CD design, Mr. Harper also provides guitar, bass synthesizer, didgeridoo and percussion. Recorded in Addis Ababa and the U.K., Mr. Harper plunges headlong into a mystical world of trance, psychedelia, electronic dance music grounded by fiery Ethiopian vocals. The result is a bit like an exotic mythology flung into outer space.
Relying on the artistic immediacy of improvisation, Mr. Harper opens Punt with an easy groove crafted by Ed Wynne on synthesizer, Juldeh Camara on ritti and some splendid vocals by Desta Fikra on the track "Hode Baba." Turning toward the dreamy, "Fiten Azorkugn" sparkles with Joie Hinton on synthesizer, former Loop Guru member Elmer Thudd on drums and Tsedenia Gebremarkos's vocals and Feleke Hailu Woldeilassie and Johnny Akilu Badane on saxophone, while Mamoud Ahmed's vocals drift eeriely from a darkly striking trance background on "Melkam Kehonelish." "Sewbekagn" shimmers with Netsanet's sultry vocals rising out of some deliciously twangy depth, while "Min Atefahu" is saturated with edgy guitar. Other notable tracks include the neatly packed "Yeteleye Fikir" with Gahta Gebre Hiwot's vocals or the spacy electronica against vocals by Mimi and Teremage Woretaw on "Gondar" and the combustible blend of dance and trance on "Dankira."
With Punt Made in Ethiopia, Mr. Harper has found a mixed sound that is both powerful and exotically edgy. While it may delve heavily into the trippy electronica on occassion, Punt lures the listener with an almost mythical world fusion sound while honoring the gracious spirit of the Ethiopian soul through its vocal traditions. What a treat.
And latest review from FRoots mag
Invisible System’s album is a bit like a wayward relative of last year’s A Town Called Addis by Dub Colossus: perhaps its deranged brother, who’s been locked away in the attic for years, subsisting on a diet of hallucinogens and psych rock. Masterminded by English producer/ multi-instrumentalist Dan Harper (who was also involved in A Town Called Addis), it features a combination of Ethio roots musicians and UK players from the furthest reaches of world and rock. This must be the first album to find space for both Mahmoud Ahmed and The Damned’s Captain Sensible. Justin, Juldeh, Dub Colossus main-man Dubulah, Martin Craddick from Baka Beyond and members of The Mission, Here & Now and Ozric Tentacles, all add embellishments to recordings of local musicians made by Harper in his Ethiopian studio.
The result is highly unusual and at times quite intoxicating. It starts out warm, dubby, jazzy, a little like A Town Like… before moving into wilder territory, with elements of drum ‘n’ bass and techno, swathes of rock guitar, an unhinged sense that anything could happen. It doesn’t all work, but there are a lot more hits than misses and Melkam Kehonelish – If That Is What You Want combines Mahmoud’s majestic vocals with rumbling electronica to delicious effect. Not to everyone’s taste I’d guess, but well worth a try. I find that it grows with each listen.
Distributed by Discovery.
Buy from Amazon.co.uk
Jamie Renton
Purchase via www.harperdiabate.com
or http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_ss_w_h__0_16?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=invisible+system+punt&sprefix=invisible+system
or google it for others e.g. play and specialist record shops
also cd baby, itunes and mondomix for mp3s but remember CD audio is better and the 14 pages of artwork are awsome - ethiopian and bos (eat static art etc and warp graffiti)
Invisible System Album, Punt : Made in Ethiopia is out at last! Got my copies yesterday, amazon.com and play.com have it as do specialist and underground record shops - enjoy have a listen and spread the word - dna
Hi Dan. Nice one mate. Cheers for the add & being a friend. Sounds like your one hell of a busy person. Take care & keep chilled. Peace, Love & Unity. RAB :-)
The Sales Bros. Blast Off - Our first foray into Soul is one of the best albums of its kind that I have ever heard. Hunt & Tony Sales toured the world with David Bowie and Iggy Pop as Tin Machine. This is their first solo album. The tracks were recorded in an empty swimming pool 28 years ago, but they sound as clear and pristine as if they were recorded yesterday. It is an experience like you have rarely lived it. You have to listen to it. It's absolutely fabulous. New Releases
The first 100 listeners who order the CD from the Web store will get the CD signed by Hunt & Tony Sales.
Hi Dan - yeah - the recording went really well - better than we hoped, for sure! Seeya down there shortly - we'll be doing some digital trickery at merv's pretty soon...
F*** that was quick... just played some of your mp3s and it's sounds as if it's all coming along nicely. Ethiopia meets West Country Psychtrance and both get their heads twisted right round. The Mimi stuff (more trad) is pretty fine too. Good to meet you both and no doubt we'll meet again soon enough- if you feel like re-treading old haunts there's plenty of room to stay here. All the best in 2008 and good luck with the Invisible System....
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