Mantra (Material song)

"Mantra"
"Mantra"
Song

"Mantra" is a 1993 song and single by Material (band) from the album Hallucination Engine, composed by Bill Laswell and Lakshminarayana Shankar. Mantra received favourable reviews in Spin, The Wire and Stereophile.^[1] The album version was remixed by The Orb to a 17-minute track for the single, and also given a 5-minute version.^[2]

"Mantra" begins with a "wailing Middle Eastern introduction",^[3] an ambient drone played by Shankar on electric violin,^[4] and is then propelled by tandem tablas of Zakir Hussain and Trilok Gurtu.^[5]

It was issued as a 12" and CD single in 1993 (Axiom / Island, AXMCD1) featuring the 17 minute "Praying Mantra Mix" by The Orb, the album's 8 minute "Doors of Perception Mix", and a 5-minute edit.

References

^ The Wire 1994 Volumes 120 to 124 - Page 62 "Material Hallucination Engine ... Tracks like "Mantra" and Weather Report's "Cucumber Slumber" work well, with the tabla players driving the music ..."
^ Spin March 1994 Page 79 "Material: Hallucination Engine (Axiom/Island) "And, if the cover of John Coltrane's "Niema" feels dead, I'm sure the 17-minute "Mantra," remixed by the Orb, will be as good as anything the latter has ever done."
^ Stereophile Volume 18, Nos 1 to 4 1995 - Page 195 "Material: Hallucination Engine ... The wailing Middle-Eastern introduction of "Mantra ..."
^ Peter Lavezzoli The Dawn of Indian Music in the West: Bhairavi 2006 Page 343 "Six years later, Laswell would follow Hear No Evil with a 1994 album by Material, which had grown big enough to hold any musicians willing to participate, which was entitled Hallucination Engine, with the return of Hussain, Shankar, Skopelitis, Dieng, and a guest roster including Wayne ... "Mantra" begins with ambient drone as Shankar's electric violin wails with the nasal tone of shehnai; Hussain and Gurtu play tandem tablas over a mammoth funk groove of drums and bass, with the beat or bass line intermittently dropping out ....."
^ Rhythm Music Magazine: RMM 1994 "Hallucination Engine, Bill Laswell. Overall, a flawed but fun CD.... turn the volume knob up, floating above; tablas propel "Mantra," until the objects in the room would seem all American Hardwood"

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[1] The Wire 1994 Volumes 120 to 124 - Page 62 "Material Hallucination Engine ... Tracks like "Mantra" and Weather Report's "Cucumber Slumber" work well, with the tabla players driving the music ..."

[2] Spin March 1994 Page 79 "Material: Hallucination Engine (Axiom/Island) "And, if the cover of John Coltrane's "Niema" feels dead, I'm sure the 17-minute "Mantra," remixed by the Orb, will be as good as anything the latter has ever done."

[3] Stereophile Volume 18, Nos 1 to 4 1995 - Page 195 "Material: Hallucination Engine ... The wailing Middle-Eastern introduction of "Mantra ..."

[4] Peter Lavezzoli The Dawn of Indian Music in the West: Bhairavi 2006 Page 343 "Six years later, Laswell would follow Hear No Evil with a 1994 album by Material, which had grown big enough to hold any musicians willing to participate, which was entitled Hallucination Engine, with the return of Hussain, Shankar, Skopelitis, Dieng, and a guest roster including Wayne ... "Mantra" begins with ambient drone as Shankar's electric violin wails with the nasal tone of shehnai; Hussain and Gurtu play tandem tablas over a mammoth funk groove of drums and bass, with the beat or bass line intermittently dropping out ....."

[5] Rhythm Music Magazine: RMM 1994 "Hallucination Engine, Bill Laswell. Overall, a flawed but fun CD.... turn the volume knob up, floating above; tablas propel "Mantra," until the objects in the room would seem all American Hardwood"

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