IGANGA EMBAIRE EP by MUGWISA INTERNATIONAL XYLOPHONE GROUP

Last year’s On the Corner 12” EP Santuri’s Embaire Umeme, introduced Uganda’s Mugwisa International Xylophone Group (M.I.X.G) to the world.The recordings center on the Embaire, a giant xylophone native to Ugandan folk music, which is dug into a pit for a natural, earthy bass resonance as gargantuous as the instrument itself. The instrument performs a key role in village life, with ceremonial playing sessions lasting for hours on end. These recordings may be esoteric in nature but they add important context to the Santuri’s Embaire Umeme 12” and are a vital documentation of the Iganga village’s culture, as well as that of Uganda. Jones has artfully chopped the epic session into a series of short evocative chapters to create a pioneering masterpiece. Remix duties are led by Griot House innovators, The Diabolcal Liberties, who have raved-up some Sun Ra frequencies for the cosmic junglist crew. Last but never least, Victoria Topping has created beautiful artwork using the session photography taken by Jones during the recordings