Shaman
Troika is ostensibly a trio of musicians who choose to remain anonymous, but the compositions are credited toDavid Arkenstone, and a quick listen to the sound design reveals this is none other than David Arkenstone himself, working under a pseudonym. Earlier Troika releases mirrored Arkenstone's penchant for overblown synthesizer orchestrations, so it's no coincidence that Troika's latest reveals the native rhythms and flutes that Arkenstone is currently exploring under still another alias,Animá. Like that group, Troika serves up tribal-trance grooves with flute melodies, tuned percussion samples, and a swirl of synthesizer ambiences. Arkenstone's penchant for heroic, cinematic synthesizer strings assures that his version of trance won't be found on a dance floor, yet tracks such as "Crossing the Light" explore a more contemporary vocabulary with metallic sequences laid against a tribal percussion groove. Arkenstone still has a predilection for the obvious, including the "Indian" drumbeats and chants, Gregorian and native. But Troika's faux exotica has its charms, including sweeping melodies and seductive rhythms. With Animá and Troika, David Arkenstone is doing his best music in years. If only he'd put it out under his own name.--John Diliberto