Daniel Schell & Karo - 1994 - Gira Girasole

Daniel Schell & Karo

1994

Gira Girasole

01. Costumi Bianchi (3:35)
02. Et Chante le Rossignol (4:32)
03. Peine de l'Amour (2:18)
04. Praire (3:36)
05. Ninna Nanna Part. 1 (3:09)
06. Ninna Nanna Part. 2 (2:00)
07. Rosa (3:00)
08. Gira Girasole (5:16)
09. Bella Ciao (4:06)
10. Rythme dtf Battipali (2:45)
11. Cielo (4:27)
12. Francesca da Rimini Salvata (2:06)
13. Stelle (4:00)
14. Bielis Maninis (3:22)

Dirk Descheemaeker / clarinet
Jan Kuijken / cello
Jean-Luc Manderlier / keyboards
Pierre Narcise / tabla drums
Daniel Schell / Chapman stick

Last album to date, Gira Girasole is yet another good album, but the tendency is to give the synths more and to reach ever wider in the cultural roots of European music, but the artistic approach is sometimes a bit hollow because it sounds rather forced. I must say that I would much rather like those ever-present synths to be replaced by acoustic instruments, mostly because that by 94, the sounds used were dating clearly from 80's synth sounds, which any progheads will agree was not the best generation. While there are some interesting tracks, such as the Spanish-sounding Francesca and the Eastern-inspired are more than interesting, but the whole thing seems to reach a certain level, but always content avoiding to surpass itself. And Schell's Chapman stick is hardly noticeable anymore.

If I can advise to start with any of the other two albums and delve into this one only if you are fully convinced by the others.