TOSHINORI KONDO/BILL LASWELL/DALAI LAMA

LIFE, SPACE, DEATH

  1/  Life                                       (Dalai Lama,Kondo,Laswell)    7.48
  2/  Space                                      (Dalai Lama,Kondo,Laswell)    6.33
  3/  Death                                      (Dalai Lama,Kondo,Laswell)    7.40
  4/  Mun Pa                                     (Laswell,Bernocchi,Kalimpong) 3.55

          Created at Orange Music, West Orange, New Jersey
          Engineered by Robert Musso
          His Holiness The Dalai Lama was interviewed by Toshinori Kondo in
            Bangalore, India
          Track 4 recorded live at Regio Theatre, Yourin, Italy
          Produced by Bill Laswell
          Track 4 concept : Eraldo Bernocchi and Petulia Mattioli
          Material Inc : John Brown
          Meta Production : Janet Rienstra
          Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper at Turtle Tone Studio, New York City

(1,2,3) His Holiness The Dalai Lama 14th : voice; Toshinori kondo : trumpet, electronics; Bill Laswell : bass, guitar, keyboards; (4) 7 Tibetan Monks (Kalimpong Monastery) : horns, bells, vocals, drums; Bill Laswell : bass; Eraldo Bernocchi : guitars, electronics.

          2000  -  ??? (Japan) (Mini-disk)
          2001  -  Meta Records (USA),  MT011  (CD)

Note : This was released on mini-disk in Japan for a limited time.

REVIEWS :

I am often telling my artist friends," writes the Dalai Lama, "that through my lectures I may reach a few thousand or maximum a hundred thousand people. But artists through music, painting or sculpture whether it is a constructive message or a destructive message can reach millions. Therefore artists can promote peace, love, compassion and harmony..."

Which thus explains why His Holiness chose to lend his voice to this decidedly constructive project navigated by Toshinori Kondo and Bill Laswell in what, on paper at least, looks like one of the unlikeliest releases of the millennium so far.

The three eponymous expositions by the Dalai Lama are rendered in short snippets among Kondo's emotive trumpet and Bill loping bass'n'beat loops. Kondo taped the interviews in Bangalore, India, in a manner that brings out the sonority and sheer humanity of this wise and gentle man's speech. Only thirty-five minutes, but thirty-five richly rewarding ones, and not just philosophically.

Somehow the texts merge harmoniously with Kondo's trumpet, whether electronically tweaked or full and bell-like, while Laswell makes the space surrounding them expand and pulsate, once even to a subtle reggae beat.

After sharing a good laugh at the end of the third track, neither Kondo nor the Dalai Lama appear on the fourth, which may or may not be called "Music". Instead, 'Charged' collaborator Eraldo Bernocchi takes over on guitars and electronics, overseeing a long, translucent ambient denouement featuring Laswell and "seven Tibetan monks" on bells, horns, vocals and drums.

What might have resulted in a mere curio in less capable hands is instead the best spoken-word album since Laswell's collaboration with William Burroughs, 'Seven Souls'.

Stephen Fruitman