[Review] Mickey Hart/Airto/Flora Purim: Däfos (1983)

World ambient percussion performances presented as an audiophile experience.

Kronomyth 4: Eno meets Ono.

Mickey Hart’s musical/spiritual journey through world percussion is captured here in two separate performances at the Japan Center Theatre in San Francisco featuring husband-and-wife musicians Airto Moreira and Flora Purim and the drum ensemble, Batucaje. Däfos is not a traditional live album, however. Rather, it’s an audiophile experience that re-creates the sensation of being there, minus any extraneous noises. Engineered by Keith O. Johnson and released on his Reference Recordings label, Däfos delivers a supernatural clarity, aided by the fact that the record was mastered at 45 rpm. The ideal listening experience would include high-end audio equipment, at least four strategically situated speakers and a dark room. No intoxicating agents needed—the music will take care of that. This is one of those albums where headphones just don’t do the artist justice. Sure, you can get into the music with headphones, but you can’t get into the middle of it, which is what Johnson and Hart want. As for the music itself, it’s an assortment of exotic instruments, voices, and occasional electrification (e.g., the bass guitar on Reunion). For a reference point, I was occasionally reminded of the music of Jon Hassell (on Dry Sands of the Desert), Brian Eno (Ice of the North) and Yoko Ono (“Reunion” again), although this is clearly Mickey Hart’s world. Even in this sere environment of ambient sounds, Hart isn’t afraid to explore extremes, as evidenced on The Gates of Däfos (Hart’s powerful drum solo featuring The Beast) and the sinister drone of Psychopomp, which was recorded later and included on the expanded compact disc version. I should probably explain that a bit more. When Däfos was re-issued by Rykodisc, the track order was shuffled, “Reunion” was expanded into three parts and the subsequent “Psychopomp” was added. As you might suspect, a good copy of the original elpee will cost you some coin today (though the audiophiles who would appreciate the effort have likely already come to terms with the high cost of pristine sound), and even then you may still be tempted to pick up the CD for the extra music. If you dug Diga Rhythm Band and the bowls of Yamantaka, Däfos is a worthy destination. You’ll be reminded of jungles, caves, space and the secret sounds of life, but mostly you’ll be reminded that music isn’t merely a byproduct of bass, drums and guitar but the blood that runs through everything.

Original elpee version

A1. Dry Sands of the Desert (Mickey Hart/Steve Douglas/Shabda Khan/Hamza El Din) (5:05)
A2. Saudacão Popular (Mickey Hart/Airto Moreira/Flora Purim/Jose Lorenzo/Batucaje) (5:12)
A3. Ice of the North (Mickey Hart/Jody Diamond) (1:20)
A4. Reunion (Bobby Vega/Flora Purim/Airto Moreira/Mickey Hart) (3:10)
B1. Subterranean Caves of Kronos (Mickey Hart) (2:12)
B2. The Gates of Däfos (Mickey Hart) (3:55)
B3. Passage (Mickey Hart/Airto Moreira/Flora Purim/Jose Lorenzo/Batucaje) (10:55)

Re-issued compact disc version
A1. Dry Sands of the Desert (5:05)
A2. Ice of the North (1:20)
A3a. Reunion I (2:14)
A3b. Reunion II (2:28)
A3c. Reunion III (5:10)
A4. Saudaçao Popular (5:12)
A5. Psychopomp (4:57)
A6. Subterranean Caves of Kronos (2:12)
A7. The Gates of Däfos (3:55)
A8. Passage (10:55)

The Players

Mickey Hart (tar, berimbau, backup vocal, gamelan, percussion, The Beast), Airto Moreira (percussion on A2/A4/B3), Flora Purim (vocals on A2/A4, percussion on B3) with Batucaje [Jose Lorenzo (director), Babatunde, Mario Abruzzo, Carlos Gomez, Jorge Perez, Renee Macay, Henry Flood, Marcos Antonio Dias] (berimbau & backup vocal on A2, percussion on B3), Habib Bishop (tar on A1), Brian Crittenden (tar on A1), Jody Diamond (gamelan on A3), Marcos Antonio Dias (vocals on A2), Steve Douglas (woodwinds on A1), Shabda Kahn (tar on A1), Mica Katz (tar on A1), Daniel Kennedy (tar on A1), Jose Lorenzo (percussion on B3), Khadija Mastah (tar on A1), Ray Patch (tar on A1), Bobby Vega (bass on A4). Produced by Mickey Hart and Airto Moreira; recording engineered by Keith O. Johnson.

The Pictures

Cover photography by John Werner. Session photography by Tony Plewik, John Werner. Däfos logo by Alton Kelley.

The Plastic

Released on 45 rpm elpee and compact disc in 1983 in the US (Reference Recordings, RR-12/CD).

1. Re-issued on expanded compact disc and cassette in 1989 in the US (Rykodisc, RCD 10108/RCS 0108). Also released on limited edition gold remastered compact disc in 1989 in the US (Rykodisc, RCD 80108).