Tibetan Tantric Choir
Nothing can prepare the uninitiated for the shocking sound of Tibetan throat singing, and these two liturgical pieces, each clocking in at near 25 minutes, are among the best, and most chilling, examples. The Gyuto Monks, in exile in India since the annexation of their native Tibet, have developed a tradition of singing that involves producing the lowest possible notes in the vocal range while simultaneously singing high overtones. The resulting sound suggests a symphony of inspired bullfrogs whose passion is Buddha, not Budweiser, croaking endlessly while rotating a wet foot around the perimeter of a giant wineglass. Which is a pretty mundane metaphor for music that produces such a powerful sense of dread and spiritual awe. Track 2 also includes clattering drums, some made of human crania. Spice Girls it ain't....--James Rotondi