On Space Lullabies and Other Fantasmagore, Ekova extends their formula of traditional North African music mixed heavily with Middle Eastern and English influences into even bolder areas. Fiercer and more electrified than their previous album, “Heaven’s Dust,” Space Lullabies nevertheless stays melodic and true to a folk roots orientation. In that respect, Space Lullabies recalls some of Hedningarna’s frenzied, joyful, intensity in reinventing traditional musical forms. Space Lullabies is skillful and inventive, one of the more original and eye-opening albums in quite some time.

The album begins simply then skillfully and gradually extends into more experimental music. The first song, “Steel Bird,” is most reminiscent of their first album “Heaven’s Dust,” bright and bubbly with complex rhythms but a straightforward vocal line. But on “How Sweet Mal” the mood intensifies with electronics, strident vocals, and grand shifts in mood and tempo from operatic, to rai, to blues-ish dance. “ Aurora ’s Flight” returns to a simpler, brighter vocal line but with layered syncopated rhythms and an unusual oud accompaniment. The haunting “Moon Beseeched” is a torch song that beautifully displays DuBois’ soaring vocals. Though sung in English, “In the Kitchen” is thoroughly avant garde, slow and almost non-melodic and modal; it is the most unapproachable song on the album. The moods shift up quickly to “Siip Siie,” a loud upbeat number, then back down to the ballad “Son Sourrit Pale,” then back up to the frenetic and volatile “The Chase” – sounding almost grunge. The mood stays intense with “A Soul’s Delight” where we suddenly have Khalatbari on vocals, with a highly orginal interpretation of a Rumi poem with oud and frame drum and a fierce electronic and dubbed backdrop. “Idem Soit Done” is a very danceable North African song, blending great oud work with techno themes. True to its name, “The Storm” is an intense techno dance track apparently influenced by the Asian Underground club scene. Shifting gears again, the band turns their eye to an English folk song “Cruel Sister,” applying their distinct groove and DuBois’ stunning voice to the ballad; a marvelous ten minutes worth of highly innovative music. “Cruel Sister" is obviously the climax, as “In the Garden” is obviously a denoument. It’s a polyphonic a capella poem with DuBois sampled numerous times. An interesting experiment but maybe only of interest to medieval music fans.

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