Bombino - Deran
(Partisan)

Guitarist Omara “Bombino” Moctar is back with another new record that sees him settle nicely into his hypnotic blend of West-African blues and rural rock. Much of this can be attributed to his choice to record closer to his home country of Niger, which would become the top-notch Studio Hiba, located in a suburb of Casablanca in Morocco. Bombino brings us closer to Africa by recording and producing this new music in that very same place.
Another big shift is the lack of a known producer. 2013’s Nomad was recorded by Dan Auerbach in Nashville while 2016’s Azel was overseen by the Dirty Projectors’ Dave Longstretch in Woodstock. These records were well-done, and by no means an attempt at crossover, but perhaps something was lost in the location of venue. Deran gets back to the heart of Bombino’s home land, the ancient town of his birth (Agadez) and the soul of his community. With the exception of his manager / producer Eric Herman and percussionist Corey Wilhelm, the entirety of Deran was recorded by Africans. The pulse with the sublime and languid guitar of “Adouni Dagh” feels particularly inspired while the wistful strains of “Midiwan” produce a distinctively Jamaican rhythmic quality. And “Deran Deran Alkheir (Well Wishes)” has that signature cyclicality in rhythm and tone that Bombino has perfected over the years.
Deran brings us closer to Bombino’s heartland and his formative years with his traditionally nomadic people, the Tuareg. You can hear it, and feel it in the grooves. Perhaps his best LP since his 2011 LP Agadez. (Dom)
Check out a track here.