Without even trying, Sublime Frequencies has unknowingly announced a new, unofficial soundtrack to the hit 2005 film Madagascar starring Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, and David Schwimmer! Compiled by Charles Brooks, who previously put together the label’s 2016 release Outlier: Recordings from Madagascar, the new soundtrack is called To Catch A Ghost: Field Recordings from Madagascar — and come to think of it, it also serves as excellent accompaniment to Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa and Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted.
Okay, for real though: Brooks’s recordings from central and southern Madagascar range from up-tempo polyrhythmic bangers to slow kabosy blues, with unique instrumentation such as lokanga, kabosy, Valiha and jejolave featured throughout. It shows that Brooks has been traveling to Madagascar and living with these artists for many years. Collected here, their songs feel excitingly alive but also granularly intimate; documents of realities fully unknowable to those who have not lived them. Some of them sound like deconstructed south African township jive. Others come across like a prehistoric, avant-garde bluegrass. All of them transcend easy categorization.
To Catch A Ghost: Field Recordings from Madagascar is out November 2. Pre-order the vinyl over at Forced Exposure or head to Bandcamp for your digital fix.
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To Catch A Ghost: Field Recordings from Madagascar tracklisting:
01. Kavoria Lappella, Soa Vinelo Soando (beko) - Hiarake
02. Vonarivo M’Bola, Soa Vinelo Soando (jejolave) - Jejolave
Instrumental
03. Vonarivo M’Bola (lokanga, throat breathing) - Sare Gorodogne
04. Gilbert Peramena dit Bera (valiha marovany) - Hala Narako Rofozina
05. Zara Jean Paul (jejo voatavo) - Akory Aby
06. Soa Vinelo Soando, Kavoria Lappella, Vonarivo M’Bola (lokanga) -
Banaika
07. Randriana Solo, Mahalid Destin (sody) - Manambitamby
08. M’Beamdala (kabosy) - Beriake
09. Prosper Razafimamdimby (5-stringed violin) - Na Inoa E!
10. Soa Vinelo Soando, Vonarivo M’Bola (lokanga) - Tsinjake Sadra Tse
11. Melina Soulala (beko) - Tsiky Dhona
12. Dabaro and Ranasoa Velonjoha (beko) - Ziabe