Tom Cora & David Moss — Cargo Cult Revival

Originally appearing in the year 1983 Cargo Cult Revival is a nicely jarring ‘n’ shifting example of the improv form. The album moves between taut ‘n’ tight interplays, droning 'n' sawing noise-ness, tolling unease, and more manic-playfully / dada sound making. Here from Klanggalerie is the recent CD release of the album, presented in a gloss orange, grey and purple coloured digipak

The release brings together Tom Cora- Cello and cello-resonating objects, David Moss- Percussion and voice. Cora released a total eighteen albums between 1979 and 2021 and worked with the likes of Zorn/ Tzadik, and a host of more experimental jazz and rock projects. Moss has been active since the late ’70s, with around thirty releases to his name- though over the years he’s performed 1000 solo percussion/voice concerts plus 3000 concerts with mainly collaborators, theatres and orchestras.

The album features ten tracks in all, and each has runtimes between three and five minutes apiece. And really as I mentioned in my introduction it shifts all over the place- moving between taut and angular work-outs, through to sparse forking and wonderings, onto the more dada and manic with cartoon-like voices, bizarre vocalises chatter. The pair are constantly on their sonic toes- yet it never sound sloppy or in any way thrown together- with each player giving it their all, be it more seriously and angular, or playful and Dada lined. I guess if you’d rather have either straight improv, or wackiness this album may not be for you- but personally, I rather enjoyed the unpredictable tone of the whole thing, and it also makes it stand out in its own right.

Cargo Cult Revival is a decidedly unpredictable and shifting record, even by improv standards- but if your open to something that darts between manic and silly, I think you’ll enjoy this sonic madness. Head here to pick a copy up.