Brian Eno is MORE DARK THAN SHARK

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The Observer DECEMBER 7, 2014 - by Paul Mardles

AFRICA EXPRESS PRESENTS... TERRY RILEY'S IN C MALI

Conceptual masterpiece gets a charming update.

It is fifty years since Terry Riley composed his conceptual masterpiece In C, whose insistent, kaleidoscopic rhythms fed into both classical and rock. This update, the first African version of the piece, unites a group of Malian musicians with Brian Eno and Damon Albarn. Wisely, they don't ape the original, choosing instead to retain its core components while adding snatches of flutes and strings. It is these new details that give the set its charm, whether it's the winding solos, the glorious interplay or the ravishing spoken interlude that emphasises music's universal power.