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Afro Celt Sound System Vol.2: Release | 
 enlarge | Artist: Afro Celt Sound System
Label: Real World
Category: Music
List Price: £8.99
Buy New: £4.39
You Save: £4.60 (51%)
New (25) Used (11) from £3.00
Rating:  11 reviews
Sales Rank: 7413
Format: Enhanced
Media: Audio CD
Discs: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.2
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 5 x 0.5
MPN: 47324
UPC: 724384732424
EAN: 0724384732424
ASIN: B00000IWUW
Release Date: April 26, 1999
Availability: Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: White cover Promo copy - Uk seller. Fast dispatch
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| Tracks:
| • | Release | | • | Lovers Of Light | | • | Eireann | | • | Urban Aire | | • | Big Cat | | • | Even In My Dreams | | • | Amber | | • | Hypnotica | | • | Riding The Waves | | • | I Think Of... | | • | Release It |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.co.uk Review
Afro Celt Sound System's first album Sound Magic was a revolutionary and largely successful attempt to blend the ancient traditions of Celtic and African music with touches of techno to create an uplifting and new--yet nevertheless primeval--sound to cater for brain, hips and soul. Its follow-up, Release, obviously has a very similar motivation behind it, yet manages to avoid being a simple retread by emphasising the dancey aspects of the music somewhat more and by blending the instrumentation into a rather denser and more organic sound. Despite certain changes in personnel, the greater coherence is certainly not due to less-varied instrumentation--uilleann pipes and hurdy gurdys sit alongside tabla drums, Celtic harp, kora, flute and many others as well as additional programming input from Ron Asian. The opening track, "Release", features guest vocals from Sinead O'Connor over a backbeat of powerful drumming; several tracks, including "Lovers Of Light", follow a similar percussion-heavy style. Others are more explicitly dance-floor numbers, like "Big Cat" (with its soft-edged yet frantic beat), "Hypnotica" and the freak-out "Riding The Waves". A more ambient feel is delivered by "Amber" and "Urban Aire". Overall, a successful album that could never have managed to be as surprising as its predecessor but nonetheless manages to break enough new ground to keep the experience fresh. --James Swift
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| Customer Reviews: Read 6 more reviews...
 Guinness with African chaser February 3, 2004
Andy Millward (Broxbourne, Herts, UK)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Having seen the Afro Celts live in London in 2003, buying their back catalogue was high on my agenda. This, the second album, is my favourite. Imagine a powerful combination of techno synths and Asian and African drums (on stage, they have anything up to four percussionists at any one time) to lay the foundations, with soft, floating Irish pipes, whistles and mellifluous vocals layered on top to chill the soul. At once muscular dance music with a gentle brogue - a pint of Guinness with a stiff chaser of African brew!This collections starts with the gorgeous Release, aided by Sinead O'Connor, but the really rousing stuff comes towards the end. I just adore the first half of Riding the Waves - spooky, haunting guitar and synth riff, persistant beats from talking drum and a bounty of other percussive instruments - sounding like the theme to a particularly atmospheric gangster thriller - before the vocals soften the effect. If you get the rare chance, see this band live, but in the meantime this is a fine way to introduce yourself to their material.
Ear candy March 7, 2003
Arctic Fox
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
I heard a track by ACSS by complete chance while surfing an online radio station, and was captivated by its rich mix of celtic sounds and african rhythms - so much so that I sought out this album. There is no doubt that it has surpassed my wildest expectations - the subtle blend of complex drum beats, traditional instruments, haunting vocals, raw african voices and the sheer energy of the performance lifts you to new heights of pleasure.Uplifting yet mellow, raw yet musically accomplished - an eclectic fusion which can't fail to get your foot tapping and your body moving!
Awesome - like Peter Gabriel on steriods! August 31, 2001
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I heard this CD for the first time after reading a rave review of their August concert at the Filmore in San Francisco. I must say, it quite literally blew me away. This is easily the best and most inventive album I've heard in many a year. I'm now a confirmed fan.
African Drums + Celtic Folk + Drum & Bass = excellent! January 7, 2001
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This album combines styles from around the world with deep electronic basslines and hard-hitting drum machines. This is what "World Music" should be; taking ideas and sounds from around the world without trying to fit it into Western composition - they don't simply take African drums, sample them and try and fit them to a 4/4 drum machine. Instead, they cleverly take each of the styles and carefully combine them to create a complex structure.The clever programming has payed off, though - Volume 2 is an amazing peice of work. It's far more Drum & Bass than the first one, but that's more my style. Excellent - buy it!
Speechless June 26, 2000
ziconess@breathemail.net (Plymouth, England)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
One of the best albums ever. Some of the songs left me speechless. Moving, dancing, living, breathing MAGIC.
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