Sharing eclectic soundscapes
WITH musical influences from Africa, India and Scandinavia, the Ancient Agents will take Durbanites on a musical journey when they perform tomorrow as part of their national tour.
The local-international collaboration consists of four multi-instrumentalists who have a distinct sound; guitarist Reza Khota (SA), a melodydriven bassist, Schalk Joubert (SA), and two percussionists, Ronan Skillen (Ireland) and Fredrik Gille (Sweden).
The inspiration for the group came from Skillen, who wanted to combine percussionist Gille with two of his favourite instrumentalists, Joubert and Khota.
“A lot of the instruments we play, especially in the percussion department, embody a mystical, ancient and extremely diverse history. I thought it would be fitting that we, as humans, could be catalysts for a musical exploration, utilising these ancient instruments to produce a contemporary sound,” Skillen said.
Their music is a mix of instrumentals with strong sounds, delicate melodies and dense layers with varied textures. Ancient Agents are inspired by musicians John Schofield, Bazar Blå, Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin, Joe Zawinul and Shakti.
As a band there is mutual admiration and respect between them, not only as musicians, but as friends. “If a band of people can gel on a positive level then that translates well in a musical context,” Skillen said.
On being on tour, Skillen said: “Being on the road is always wonderful. We are privileged because we get to see so many parts of the world, purely because of what we do professionally. Being on tour with a band is very good for the music. It really helps in the evolution of our sound and how the pieces develop.”
Ancient Agents will share their sound with Durban and are ready to take them on a musical journey that combines Afro beats, Middle Eastern laments, tight arrangements and odd time signatures, to Indian fusion, jazz harmony and ancient sounds.
Alliance Française de Durban. 22 Sutton Crescent, Morningside, Durban. Tuesday, January 31, 7pm. Tickets: R100 Bookings: 031 312 9582 / afdbn@global.co.za