Music: Tapan Meets Generation Taragalte – Atlas

Belgrade-based group Tapan and nomadic Touareg electrified desert-blues group Generation Taragalte have come through with a brand new project titled Atlas following a meeting in Marrakesh back in 2018. It’s dark, club-inspired jazz meets Sub-Saharan blues on this album, an inspiring release that sees two worlds collide, creating an engaging and wildly fun album.

The album kicks off with “Jbit Aala Khiam,”  a moody and meditative track with dominant guitar leads and a rumbling energy throughout. There’s percussion throughout and electronic effects that add texture to the music. It’s a densely produced track and you can hear the Sub-Saharan Touareg influences throughout this track. Horn sections come in too, creating a truly fantastic listen. “Aha Yazine Kaymaltou” is much more of a dynamic track, with its thumping beat and heavy percussion throughout that is just so energetic. There are slight dub influences, with guitars that kick in, as well as heavy, poignant horns that give the record such a psychedelic feel to it. The guitar-heavy “Hyatti” is slow-paced, with horns and heavy percussion throughout giving it a moody tone, but it explodes with a fast-paced beat that just carries the song to a frantic conclusion. “Yogi Yamahssar” is a groovy an pretty great closer to the album, with guitar leads that sound groovy, soulful vocal contributions (as with on the rest of the project) and a beat that just sounds fantastic, and concludes the album with a beautiful, spiritual way. Overall,  Tapan & Generation Taragalte have come through with an excellent new collaborative album that sounds cohesive and beautifully textured.

Listen to Tapan Meets Generation Taragalte’s Atlas below via Bandcamp and don’t forget to support! Released via Soundway Records.