Afro Celt Sound System

Afro Celt Sound System

BEATING THE SYSTEM
Afro Celt Sound System Add Peter Gabriel and Robert Plant to the Mix -- Can a Hit Be Far Behind?
Since bursting onto the scene five years back, London-based world beat collective Afro Celt Sound System have developed a reputation for challenging ears with its organic and intoxicating blend of African, Celtic, and dance grooves. Fueled by uilleann pipes, bodhrans, Punjabi dhol, Celtic harps, African koras and talking drums, mandolins, whistles, guitars, and state-of-the-art beat programming -- if you could play the kitchen sink, they'd play that, too -- ACSS's music goes down well with rave kids and folk fans alike. On Volume 3: Further in Time, the collective continues to surprise, and not just because the African backup vocalists on "Go On Through" happen to be four Irish sisters from Donegal! In a calculated but very natural move, the Afro Celts have invited guest vocalists Peter Gabriel and Robert Plant on board in their strongest effort yet to cross over into the mainstream (past cameos include Sinéad O'Connor). B&N recently caught up with ACSS's traditional Irish singer Iarla Ó Lionáird, who claims that Volume 3: Further in Time "is the best album we've ever made."

Barnes & Noble.com: What's your response to criticism that you're trying to cross over by including Robert Plant and Peter Gabriel on Further in Time?

Iarla Ó Lionáird: They're right! [laughs] I have a young son and I want a future for him. It is a stab at widening our audience. I can't see what harm it would do us. We have never made money out of touring, and we make a modest living out of record sales. Everybody's entitled to a shot at success, and I don't think we have compromised ourselves.

B&N.com: When we spoke three years back, you raved about Peter Gabriel and what an inspiration he is. Have you come to terms with the fact he's singing one of your songs on the record?

IO: It's almost sick [laughs]. We were on stage with him in Seattle, and I thought, My God, this is great! It was very joyful. And for about a week afterwards, I was welling up with emotion about it. He's an incredibly modest guy, he's a lovely man. It's a constant thrill to know that I am signed to his label, and the respect he gives me makes me feel very good about myself.

B&N.com: How were Peter Gabriel and Robert Plant chosen to sing on the album?

IO: When we finished recording it, I remember turning round to the boys and saying, "The bottom line is Peter would sound great on this." He took it away and when it came back, it was absolutely...let's put it this way, he obviously enjoyed singing it. He got off on it, and you could hear it in his voice. It was everything I'd asked for and more. With Robert it was the same. We needed a big voice for the song, 'cause it's kinda epic, and he was really up for it.

B&N.com: The titles of your last two albums -- Sound Magic and Release -- have held a lot of significance for the group. Why did you call this one Further in Time?

IO: It's indicative of where we find ourselves. Rather than saying this album represents something completely different -- which we didn't feel it did -- we feel it's almost like a bookend; it places us further down the pike creatively with more capacity to do our thing.

B&N.com: It's interesting you say that the group didn't feel the record "represents something completely different" from past efforts. It speaks to some criticism you've received for treading familiar territory and working a concept into the ground.

IO: I think they are biased comments and ridiculous, because there are no limits to music of any sort, and if you are mixing two infinites you don't come up with a finite answer. There's a racial thing as well, you know. A lot of people still feel you shouldn't be mixing things. I often wonder if our name is a problem, if it brings out the worst in some people. If we were called Planet 5, nobody would have a problem with it.

B&N.com: So, explain how Further in Time is different from the last two discs.

IO: We tried to do more of the things we felt we were starting to be good at. There's a range of instrumentation we hadn't fully explored the last time, and there's a greater focus on the electronic aspect. I'm very proud of the African tracks like "Shadowman" and "Further In Time," they're an explosive new element to the repertoire definitely detailing the power and capacity of modern African music to take charge and do its thing. There's more collaborative power this time, too.

B&N.com: It's also more buoyant than Release, which was more melancholic.

IO: There was melancholy, absolutely. It was also reticent, and I want to get rid of that reticence. I'd rather have melancholy without reticence, if that were possible. We were under the weight of grief and guilt [from the passing of keyboard player Jo Bruce] when we made the second album. We had more time to make this one, we were more focused, we were able to choose better tracks, and it's definitely more upbeat.

B&N.com: In an interview, Simon Emmerson said he wanted to develop your English singing voice on this record. Why did he want to do that?

IO: We hadn't done it. And also because the band and I had become weary of the fact that all anybody ever expected of me was the soaring Gaelic vocal. I can do that 'til the cows come home, but I like trying other things as well.

B&N.com: And was it a challenge?

IO: It was a huge challenge, it was a difficult psychological challenge, a psycho-linguistic challenge, if you will, because I've never sung in anything but Gaelic.

B&N.com: What's the biggest lessons learned from your involvement with the Afro Celt Sound System?

IO: One of the things I, as a solo performer, have learned on this voyage is that there's great power in numbers and that writing with people and involving others in your music is a great experience. It's very enriching and challenging too, and I'm very curious to find out what we'll do next.

Errol Nazareth

August 17, 2001