Recorded in the Madang region of Papua, New Guinea in 1976.
Recorded by Ragnar Johnson in 1976 and considered by some to be the grail of all ethnographic field recordings, MADANG: SACRED FLUTE MUSIC FROM NEW GUINEA is an essential for anyone interested in the margins of recorded sound. In New Guinea the wind has many supernatural connotations. Flute blowing is a mediator between the human and spirit worlds. These nearly six-foot-long flutes are made of bamboo and are brought out exclusively for ceremonial purposes. The sounds released are believed by the players to be actual cries of spirits. These recordings are absolutely transcendent. In four extended tracks, spherical sounds rise and build in otherworldly force with hypnotic results. This album presents a vanishing musical form that expresses the essence of music itself.