LOUCA, MAURICE - ELEPHANTINE (ORANGE VINYL) (LP)

400 copies repress orange vinyl + insert "on elephantine, cairo-based maurice louca guides a 12-piece ensemble through a 38-minute masterwork that might best be described as panoramic. elements of free improvisation, sun ra's cosmic jazz, gorgeous arabic melody, trancelike african and yemeni music and minimalism meet in his wholly unique compositional vision. louca also makes vital contributions on guitar and piano, and inspires stirring performances from a global lineup. one of the most gifted, prolific and adventurous figures on egypt's thriving experimental arts scene, louca has in recent years garnered a global reputation through two previous solo albums and an expanding, evolving lineup of genre-defying collaborations." (label info)