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| These 12 improvisational and instrumental (Washburn guitar and Roland synthesizer) tracks by piantarist/guitarist Mark Daum�s alter ego have not been titled, and this is perhaps in keeping with the ethereal quality of these �on-the-spot� musical creations. Although he has given these performances live over 600 times, there are few known recordings in existence. These compositions were recorded live at three different venues � a Chapters bookstore; the Gown and Gavel pub; and the now-defunct Sasso Basso, in Hamilton, Ontario � and the CD released in 2003. The Sasso Basso recordings were provided by an enthusiastic John LaRose, and the remainder, by guitarist Daniel Allen, with mastering completed at the Centre for Creative Research in Dundas, Ontario. Although it is not indicated when these particular recordings took place, the liner notes state they represent a performing/playing technique that originated in 1999 and continued into 2001. Each piece averages around three minutes in length, with the closing three tracks marking Wakan�s initial foray into this successfully-received acoustic experiment. Other than these three, the remaining tracks were recorded in the order they were created, which is not always obvious, but for the most part, they flow very well into each other. Having heard Wakan perform live on at least a couple of occasions, I can attest to the fact that he allows his spontaneous artistic expressions free rein to guide him along, according to his reception of external and internal stimuli. The ambience of the music generally hovers between a peace-filled mellowness to a light melancholy, but occasional sinister outbursts provide a dramatic contrast. How he manages to create such harmonious melodies and interesting rhythmic patterns from completely random tunings is a mystery best left to more technically-minded musicians. I�m content to enjoy the final product as I hear it. He freely admits (in a talking segment on the CD) that the process can sometimes be a �crash and burn� one, effective perhaps only 50% of the time, but I think this is a modest estimate if the listener were to suspend conventional thinking in the composition of music. Some people will say this music is downright �wacky�; others (like myself) are bound to find it refreshingly exotic, but no one can say it is not uniquely his. When I first heard King Crimson�s Court of the Crimson King album, particularly �Moonchild�, I didn�t know what to make of the strange sonic sequences there either, but having become very familiar with it over the years, I can appreciate the same daring innovation contained on The Element of Chance. I have to admit that I am more enthralled with his earlier CD, The Light of Day, released under his birth name, but it really isn�t that different from Elements of Chance. If anything, the songs contained on Light of Day would appear to be the fully-developed spawn of these musical embryos. Whether you prefer the spontaneous expulsions of Wakan or the more deliberately-crafted compositions of Mark Daum, this is one music-maker who will hopefully awaken a long-stifled creative urge in contemporary music. |
| THE ELEMENTS OF CHANCE - WAKAN CD Review by Diane Wells Copyright 2004 |
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