Peter Mergener African Smile

'Voices' starts the set with Oldfieldesque guitar refrain, ethnic flute sounds, voice samples, soaring synthesiser rushes and a warm motif which cross fades into 'Welcome', featuring ethnic percussion effects, female voice and lush, warm synth washes accompanying melancholic guitar and keyboard motifs. 'Awakening in Dani Beach' commences with surf sounds and evocative flute melody augmented by sequencers and synth pads. At around three minutes forty seconds a beefier rhythm starts up and the atmosphere changes with ominous synth and darker sequencer collages, reminiscent of Jarre in sections, before the opening melody is reprised towards the end of the piece.

'Halleluja' is a short piece of ethnic voices backed with sweeping synth washes and serves as a prelude to one of the outstanding tracks on the album 'In The Woods'. An evocative flute/synth refrain begins the piece backed with ethnic percussion treatments and interspersed with Achim Elsen's superb guitar. These elements interplay gradually building the tension and atmosphere reminiscent of T. Dream's 'White Eagle' and the more powerful guitar sections of 'Underwater Sunlight'. Skilfully utilising light and shade, this cut is a delight, (but on my copy was three minutes short of the playing time listed on the sleeve). 'Mombassa' uses the now familiar sampling and ethnic percussion as a backdrop to a darker motif before Mergener hits the sequencers and Kraftwerk effects. Combining these elements, Mergener again builds the atmosphere using Elsen's guitar sparingly, but tastefully.

'Christians' is a much more gentle, short melodic keyboard piece providing a good contrast with its predecessor. 'Massai' again utilises a similar formula to earlier tracks, but this time a piano motif is used backed by sequencers and muscular percussion. Although effective, at times perhaps Mergener overplays the ethnic sample card, but on the title track 'African Smile' he exercises more restraint and returns to the excellent standard of 'In The Woods' with another fine performance by guitarist Elsen. 'Electronic Voodoo Trance' relies more on percussion and rhythms, and the ethnic samples return backed with warm synths and sequencers towards the end of the piece along with an anthemic finale. 'Africa In Your Head' concludes the set with an Enigma-style big beat, more African voices and marimba effects and heart warming refrain.