“Paradoxically, it is by rediscovering our roots that we can find our way out of the dead ends of history and onto the roads of the future”
(Maltese composer Charles Camilleri to C. Cornell Evers)
The mini-album Mokuy by the Australian band Hand To Earth contains just three songs and clocks in at 23 minutes. Despite its short length, the band manages to leave an indelible impression. The musicians combine different genres, mixing ancient and modern influences in a unique way. The basis is the Yolgnu Manikay, an ancient oral tradition from northern Australia. The song cycles transcend time and space, creating a sense of eternal progression known as raki – the all-encompassing spirit that connects everything and everyone.
Hand To Earth pairs the voices of Yolgnu singer Daniel Wilfred and Korean singer Sunny Kim. Their combined vocal expressions create a deeply human feeling while evoking untamed forces. Trumpeter and composer Peter Knight adds contrasting, minimalist electronic elements. Together with the evocative sounds of clarinetist Aviva Endean and didgeridoo player David Wilfred, they take the listener into previously unimagined sonic realms.
Hand To Earth – Mokuy
Room40
Photo Hand To Earth © Emma Luker
