Pulse - A Stomp Odyssey: Soundtrack from the Imax Film
Is there anything more inherently ironic than an IMAX film celebrating the global musical primacy of thefoot? Already the most successful off-Broadway show in history (350-plus productions in some three dozen countries),Pulseambitiously deconstructs several millennia of humanity's rhythmic heritage, a journey that wends from prehistoric African beats and Indian elephant processions to Brazilian Carnival drum bands, Spanish flamenco, American marching bands, hip-hop, house and so much more. The 21 performances here showcase the infectious conceit in all its flashy diversity: an audio travelogue that reaches beyond the original stage troupe to showcase many of its international inspirations, including the American Indian Dance Theater, Brazilian bandleader Carlhinos Brown (performing with Timbalada and Os Zarabe, his massive "Candyhall Beat" is also featured in a propulsive remixes by Police drummer/soundtrack composer Stewart Copeland and the UK's Mr. Bill and Mr. Ben), the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps, West Africa's Le Percussions de Guinee , and the Kalahari's Qwii Arts Trust Khoi San Music. The Stomp troupe, assisted by the film's other performers, somehow blend it all together on the dizzying "Beat Box," a forceful piece that virtually redefines the musical potential of the human body, while taking star turns on their own set pieces "Underwater" and "Rooftops."  It's part history lesson, part philosophical rumination, powered throughout by a vibrant, expansive sense of human commonality.– Jerry McCulley