Perhaps it's but a testament to boorishness, but I'm just not drawn to yoga. The word itself, with it's elastic-y Y and its glottal G, seems like the kind of thing a squid would say if a squid could say anything. And those who spend too long in poses involving complicated intertwining of vital organs and extremities seem to run a risk of developing a wan-but-intense visage usually reserved for those who hover aimlessly near the Slim Jims. Heck, I've even spent some time in Downward Dog myself, since I know it's really healthy, but I remain unattracted to the yogic world, despite its efficacy. Recognizing my own cultural deficiency, it was with a certain skepticism I approached slang rhythm speak by KDZ, the drummers of that yoga mecca, the Kripalu Center out in the Berkshires.
The drummers, whether they've incorporated Sun Salutations in their rhythmic stew or no, do lay down a pleasantly precise groove with ease. They immediately face the challenge of all percussive groups—how do you use a limited palette to progress in some attention-holding way from beginning to end of a piece in something other than too subtle a fashion? Instead of attempting that, they use their rhythms to create a fairly hypnotic state, and the sounds quickly fade into a more subconscious position. Perhaps that state is what KDZ hopes to foster, and it can be a useful one. Whatever the case, the cool, jangling rhythms and chants of KDZ position the group in rarefied, if not unique territory for Western Mass. bands, making music to accompany yoga-flavored meditative seeking. Oh, and Lipbone Redding shows up to lead the proceedings in most unusual fashion on "Firetruck," and that's the high point of the disc, a happy, groovy tune that isn't quite any particular genre.
There's an invitation in the liner notes to "relax in Savasana to the sounds of 'Afro Groove.'" So I'm clearly not the target audience for KDZ, unsure as I am of how to differentiate between Savasana and Santana, but I found listening to this disc compelling in an odd, quiet way. It made me want to get up and do—well, something. Maybe something useful, or even important. And that's far more than most bands can accomplish.
