Mamaleek are two anonymous brothers from San Francisco who play a mixture of black metal, jazz, and world music. Kurdaitcha, their third album (whose name refers to the office of "ritual executioner" among some Australian Aboriginal peoples) has fewer jazz elements than their previous work, but is the most streamlined and easily listenable.
The shuffling electronic percussion at times sounds like, oddly enough, a cross between ritualistic drumming and witch house-y programming. Throughout the course of this album you will encounter strangely trilling wind instruments (some type of flute?), sampled chanting in what sounds like German, blackened dungeon-scraping noise, and, during the anthemic highpoint of penultimate track "The White Marble Stone," rhythms slightly reminiscent of hip-hop.
Just an observation: the fuzzed out ending of "My Body Rock Long Fever" would sound right at home on My Bloody Valentine's Loveless, complete with a final loop that calls to mind "Touched"...
These are all disparate parts of Kurdaitcha, but as a whole there is really nothing to compare it to. This album demands to be taken on its own terms. Mamaleek are one of the most unique, curious bands I've had the pleasure of hearing.
One more note: to my knowledge I was the first person to realize (or at least the first to post on the internet about it) that all of Mamaleek's song titles are taken from old negro spirituals. I don't really know what to make of that, but there it is.
Kurdaitcha is available as a pay-what-you-want download from the always superb Enemies List Home Recordings.
Or, you can get it as a direct download below:
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