Subscribe
Subscribe
Artist: Tartanic
Album: Unstoppable
Year: 2007
Looking back at this 2007 release, the kilted wonders’ avarice to step out of the box and onto the “Oh no, they di-in’t!” stage is recorded machismo. You’ll find lots of male enhancements, including Scotsmen reciting poetry, didgeridoos and steel drums, but the meat of this CD is those Tartanic-tastic bagpipes, plugged in.
Manipulation of bagpipe sound is quintessential here, with delay and distortion. Great Highland bagpipes are run through a Leslie cabinet in “The Bonnie Johnson”, which starts out with an a capella teaser of “The Humours of Whiskey”. Drum sets the rocket pace, and it’s not hard to imagine phallic cymbals.
An epically distorted sound adventure in Scottish rebellion happens with “Amazing Grace” (Hendrix Mix). The pipes collaboration at 1:51 is an eloquent riot of pure soul. The “Spanking the Puritan” medley in multi-pipe harmonics with a drum roll is what Tartanic is all about: rousing. Great Highland pipes in the hands of Mike McNutt, Andrew Beck and David Duncan are enough to make any brave heart scream FREEEDOOMMMMMM! from the backseat on a road trip to the highland games.
Dionne Charlet is a freelance writer based in Greater New Orleans. She is a contributing writer for Where Y’at Magazine and reviews music for Marc Gunn’s Celtic MP3s Music Magazine. Dionne runs the Cast Aways Open Theatre Troupe and performs with her fellow Cast Aways volunteers at Ren faires, sci-fi cons, charity venues and festivals throughout the Gulf Coast and beyond. Mrs. Charlet also works as an Outreach Coordinator for the Humane Society of Louisiana. You can contact Dionne at SHIATARA@AOL.com.
