We first got acquainted with Dan Harper's Invisible System project thanks to last year's 'Bamako Sessions', an album for which the English producer quit the Ethio-fusion he made a name for himself with, to return to Mali where he was active as a relief worker in the late nineties of the last century. 'Bamako Sessions' counted 11 tracks on, but Harper recorded some 48 songs in total during those original sessions in Samé, a district on the outskirts of the Malian capital Bamako where Dan's wife Hawa also hails from, so there was more than enough material left to distill another album from.
Guitarist Banjougou Kouyaté, tama/talking drum player Ousmane Dagnon, guitarist and gourd player Sidi Touré and guitarist Kalifa Koné (Salif Keita, Oumou Sangare...), who already participated on predecessor 'Bamako Sessions', are all present again. The big difference with that previous entirely instrumental album, is that this time we also get to hear the impressive voice of Astou Niamé Diabaté, a childhood friend of Dan's wife Hawa (who also sang at their wedding), and those of guitarist/vocalist Sidi Touré ('Dance To The Full Moon') and griot Sambou Kouyaté ('Ebah', 'Kélé', 'Toungaranke', 'Diarabi'...).
At the time of the release of 'Bamako Sessions' Banjougou Kouyaté had already passed away and since then Sambou Koyaté tragically lost his life in a traffic accident, giving the songs on 'Dance To The Full Moon' an extra dimension.
Just like on 'Bamako Sessions' Dan Harper ingeniously mixed traditional West-African music with influences from Western rock ('Juru/Too Much Credit'), electro ('Ebah') and this time even some hip-hop thanks to the contribution of Malian rapper Penzy ('Kélé/War'), but nowhere does the Western influence dominate as much as in the conjuring finale and title track 'Dance To The Full Moon': "I started making an electronic dance track, then got Sidi Touré to play guitar and sing over it. It was nothing like Sidi's usual music, but he love this and really went for it. When I asked what he was singing about, he said it was about "dancing to the full moon" and a party vibe, so he definitely got the idea of the track!".
More Afro western crossover magic from master Dan 'Invisible System' Harper!