By Keith Walsh
When Lisa Hammer was starting work on her brilliant classical album Dakini, she had the difficult task of tracking down ancient manuscripts. Four songs on the newly-released remaster feature obscure tunes in Latin. Written by monks in the 12th century, these songs are blasphemous efforts by young Catholic monks, who were lashing out in their own unique way.
As Hammer, a multi-faceted singer, composer, actress and film producer, told me: “Because it was the 12th century, monks who had just had enough of the bullsh#t of the church — and so they kind of troll the church by rewriting the songs, (changing) these sacred hymns to either be about drinking and blaspheming. And according to lore, they had black masses with the music. So of course, immediately I was intrigued.” On the surface, these lovely renditions by Hammer sound like traditional church music, while in fact the lyrics are far from praise and worship.
Hammer explains: “’In Taberna Quando Sumus’” is ‘In A Tavern Drinking.’ It’s a drinking song…and any sane smart person, when you see what was going on back then, and even anyone who trolls assholes now, people have been around doing funny things like that for thousands of years. We didn’t start it now, we did it back then and that’s intriguing to me. They were younger, they were students, so they were like Gen Z maybe”
“Alte Clamat Epicurus” is one of three new songs on the just-released vinyl update of Dakini, which in its original form was released in 2009. The title of the song is an ode to overindulgence, certainly a forbidden pleasure for cloistered monks. Hammer had a paper chase finding the illuminated manuscripts that contained the Latin songs. “It was so hard to find the actual manuscript and actual notation for this,” she explains. “I looked for months and then there was one library in the middle of nowhere Massachusetts. I drove there and they had it. And I ran, sweat dripping down my body — I photocopied as much as I could.”
The other two new songs on the new remaster are an enchanting dance mix of “Chant Number 5,” and “Hurdy Gurdy Gavotte” The new release is available on purple or gold vinyl. Working with her husband writer/director Levi Wilson, Hammer says she has lots of new music to release. They’re working in Ableton and Wilson is contributing guitar to the new tracks.
Grrl Power
Dakini is a Sanksrit word describing an energetic female form, often embodied as a goddess. The album certainly demonstrates the musical energy of Hammer and collaborator Paul Ash. Hammer’s former and current musical projects include Requiem In White, The Terror Twins, Mors Syphilitica, Radiana, and Fashion Bird Danger Danger. And while there’s lots of goth sounds on her rock projects, for Dakini she returns to classical forms, which in addition to the blasphemous Latin tunes include ancient Indian ragas, Appalachian Folk Music, and Middle Eastern Drones.
For the ragas, Hammer – who lives in Riverdale, New York — found authenticity through channels other than classical notation. “I studied under Michael Harrison in New York and he was a disciple of Pandit Pran Nath. He was part of the whole experimental movement in New York with La Monte Young. They actually housed Pandit Pran Nath, and they were his disciples and fed him and took care of him. (The house) is just downtown in Tribeca. It’s called the dream house. They’re still there, I mean Pran Nath passed away but his disciples are La Monte Young and Michael Harrison. Lamont Young is quite a character, he worked with Fluxus and Yoko Ono. And they still have a really cool thing going on there.”
Listening to Dakini, it’s no surprise to find such soulful influences. It’s a disc filled with a range of textures and emotions that stir that spirit. Some people might file it under ambient or folk music—I find it hard to define, but would tend towards a classical label. “I think it’s a hybrid classical,” says Hammer. “I think it’s medieval and tribal, and electronic, and eerie and ethereal gothic.”
Hammer studied classical madrigals in high school, was a member of a classical vocal group that performed the original versions of Carmina Burana – not the Carl Orff version — and is working on madrigals for Dakini 2. The album will also include a cover of Nico’s “Frozen Warnings” in the style of a choir of medieval nuns. In the meantime, Dakini’s newly remastered edition is a treat worthy of repeated spins.
Lisa Hammer dot com
‘Dakini’ Remaster On Limited Edition Gold Vinyl On The Circle Music
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