Jazz Archives

Guitarist Skopelitis' dustpan approach to world music sweeps various ethnic instrumental grit and grime into the whirling blades of co-producer Bill Laswell's shop-vac. Contributing to the unholy mess are Foday Musa Suso on kora, oudist/violinist Simon Shaheen, gospel organist Amina Claudine Myers, percussionists Zakir Hussain, Aiyb Dieng and Guilherme Franco, drummer Jaki Liebezeit, bassists Bill Laswell and Jah Wobble, and, consistently providing the most bracing moments, Bachir Attar (leader of the Master Musicians of Jajouka) raising hell on the plague-of-locusts vernacular oboe, the rhaita. When Ekstasis's free-floating anxiety is at its peak, it could almost be the disc that Can fans have been waiting for since Ege Bamyasi.

:::Review by Bob Tarte:::

Nicky Skopelitis - Ekstasis (1993)

1. Tarab 7:19
Electric Guitar [6 & 12 String] – Nicky Skopelitis
Bass – Jah Wobble
Written-By – Laswell, Wobble
Drums [Loop] – Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste
Violin – Simon Shaheen
Harp [Doussongoni] – Foday Musa Suso
Tabla – Zakir Hussain

2. Meet Your Maker 5:57
Electric Guitar [6 & 12 String] – Nicky Skopelitis
Bass – Bill Laswell
Flute – Bachir Attar
Oud, Violin [Intro] – Simon Shaheen
Drums – Jaki Liebezeit
Cuica, Whistle, Other [Little Hammer] – Guilherme Franco
Organ [Hammond B-3] – Amina Claudine Myers

3. Ghost Of A Chance 5:06
Performer [Chatan] – Aiyb Dieng
Bass – Bill Laswell
Baglama, Electric Guitar [6 & 12 String] – Nicky Skopelitis
Berimbau [Electric], Cuica, Cowbell – Guilherme Franco
Drums – Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste
Organ [Hammond B-3] – Amina Claudine Myers

4. Proud Flesh 4:48
Electric Guitar [6 & 12 String] – Nicky Skopelitis
Bass – Jah Wobble
Kora – Foday Musa Suso
Drums – Jaki Liebezeit
Violin – Simon Shaheen
Tambourine – Guilherme Franco

5. Sanctuary 5:57
Electric Guitar [6 & 12 String] – Nicky Skopelitis
Bass – Jah Wobble
Oboe [Ghaita] – Bachir Attar
Written-By – Attar, Wobble
Drums – Jaki Liebezeit
Talking Drum – Aiyb Dieng
Organ [Hammond B-3] – Amina Claudine Myers

6. One Eye Open 4:41
Performer [Chatan] – Aiyb Dieng
Bass – Bill Laswell
Sitar [Coral], Electric Guitar [6 & 12 String] – Nicky Skopelitis
Written-By – Laswell
Drums – Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste
Violin – Simon Shaheen
Organ [Hammond B-3] – Amina Claudine Myers
Berimbau [Electric] – Guilherme Franco

7. Heresy 5:36
Written-By – Suso, Wobble
Electric Guitar [6 & 12 String] – Nicky Skopelitis
Bass – Jah Wobble
Drums – Jaki Liebezeit
Kora – Foday Musa Suso

8. Jubilee 4:39
Electric Guitar [12 String] – Nicky Skopelitis
Bass – Jah Wobble
Written-By – Suso, Wobble
Drums – Jaki Liebezeit
Talking Drum – Aiyb Dieng
Harp [Doussongoni] – Foday Musa Suso
Organ [Hammond B-3] – Amina Claudine Myers

9. Witness 7:34
Bass – Jah Wobble
Written-By – Wobble, Shaheen
Drums – Jaki Liebezeit
Violin – Simon Shaheen
Harp [Doussongoni] – Foday Musa Suso
Baglama, Guitar [Dobro], Electric Guitar [6 & 12 String] – Nicky Skopelitis

10. Telling Time 4:57
Organ [Hammond B-3] – Amina Claudine Myers
Electric Guitar [6 & 12 String] – Nicky Skopelitis
Bass – Bill Laswell
Drums – Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste
Congas – Guilherme Franco


Credits
Artwork By [Cover] – James Koehnline
Artwork By [Layout And Design] – Aldo Sampieri
Engineer – Bruce Calder, Martin Bisi, Bob Musso
Engineer [Assistant At Greenpoint] – Imad Mansour
Engineer [Assistant At Platinum Island] – Chris Flam
Engineer, Engineer [Mix For Velocity] – Oz Fritz
Mastered By – Howie Weinberg
Photography – Ira Cohen
Producer – Bill Laswell, Nicky Skopelitis
Technician [Equipment] – Artie Smith
Written-By – Skopelitis