Ghost-Note
Fortified

There are people who don't speak, but who communicate.

There are valuables that aren't assessed economically, but hold emotional significance.

There are notes that don't play, but are important and have rhythmic value.

The latter are not pauses. They are called ghost notes, which in sheet music are represented with a simple "X", without the cryptographic need to be shown on any staff line (although it sometimes happens), because they have an indistinct sound.

On this basis, "Ghost-Note", a rhythmical duo from Dallas, Texas, was formed, consisting of two members of "Snarky Puppy", namely Robert "Sput" Searight (drums) and Nate Werth (sampler, percussion, including the xylosynth) who are the creators and composers of 12 of the 13 tracks on their first album.

The two percussionists availed themselves of exceptional collaborators, precisely 18 musicians: Shaun Martin (moog), N'Dambi (voice, sampling), Mark Lettieri (guitars), Caleb Sean (melodica), Jason "JT" Thomas (drums), RSVP (Indian band, sampling), Nick Werth (percussion, Nate's brother), Cleon Edwards (drums), Taron Lockett (drums, percussion), Marcelo Woloski (percussion), Wes Stephenson (5-string bass), Bob Lanzetti (guitars), A.J. Brown (bass, electronics, production), Dywane Thomas Jr. (aka Mono Neon, bass), Frank Moka (percussion), Ben Bohorquez (saxophone) and Sylvester Onyejiaka (flute and saxophone).

After drafting the instrumental shopping list, the duo carries forward a main concept, namely that of highlighting percussion über alles, with rhythmic interlocks, whirlwind genre changes, giving extreme emphasis to the rhythmic component.

The ghost notes occupy a space in music, the toms, the snare, the cymbals have very precise sounds, the skins of the djembés or congas resonate in the harmonic chambers of wooden chalices, the idiophones offer defined melodies and it is all the percussion that are musically the protagonists with the other instruments being the complement.

The technology of samplers, loop stations and sound manipulation helps make this album a continuous discovery in a musical world that develops between tribal music, dance, hip-hop, and funky.

Amusing "Go-go Gadget" with Martin's moog track, the continuous clapping and Searight's funky 5/4, technically thrilling "Beastie" (but "Jungle Boogie" also rocks) and "Can't get Right" (Snarky-style, with added horns, but with a devastating rhythm in terms of anticipations, delays, syncope and interlocks, of which I attach the video in the review) are my main highlights. The cover, belonging to the mother group "Snarky Puppy", of "Think of Gold" (album "GroundUP" from 2009), is excessively long but still shows an introduction of Nate Werth's xylosynth and a sharp melodica solo by Caleb Sean McCampbell, but overall, 47' pass by quite rapidly.

"Fortified" is engaging, danceable, mind-blowing, intricate, with surprises always around the corner. We give dignity and "sound" to rhythm.