David Michael Moore :: “Umburkus Returns” - ULYSSA
Photo: Sarah Puleo
A sophisticated slipstream whose sonic spine swims up rhythmic rivers populated with wicked wildlife carefully breaks silence as organic instruments of geographical influence ignite the esoteric economy in a biblical blaze. Where heaven meets hell in a cosmic exchange of poetic praise and tonal temptation lurking in the anatomical African spirit of the great Papa Legba, not “Satan.” The iconic intersection of Highways 1 and 8 rests at the fundamental feet of one of its rare residents, David Michael Moore (David Moore, David Michael Moore, and Dayday Moemoe.) A harmonious hermit, woodworker, and artist whose transcendental touch on music and its holy process is unparalleled but held in high regard to that of Moondog, Ralph E. White, John Cage, and the painstaking specifics of the Sun City Girls catalog, “Umburkus Returns” is poetically placed as one of the gleaming greats of its time without so much as a proper release until now. Practically lying dormant to its deserved audience for over two decades, Moore invites listeners to engage with sound, trepidatious texture, and ritualistic rhythms in a way that seems like you have traveled back to a time of celestial connection.
“No names have been changed to protect anyone. They could care less anyway.”
Echoing a familiar breath into the vibrant void like Dylan or the man who brought you “Magnolia,” JJ Cale, Moore’s atmospheric approach is merely melodic and monumentally masterful as each instrument is handcrafted via ancient wood from his Rosedale, Mississippi stomping grounds. Habitually handcrafting every instrument, his rapid repertoire consists of instruments such as zithers, harps, wooden drums, buzz boxes, and dog bone xylophones, all of which station him directly in the middle of the cosmic nerve center of the mystic Delta. Moore, now 74, patiently constructs his poetic palace from the depths of his lucrative cave, allowing his music and legend to speak for him as his harmonious hysteria connects us all most profoundly. Whether he’s considered a mad scientist, alchemist, operating occultist, or simply a trailblazing talent of unmeasurable proportions, Moore’s atmospheric abilities to speak tonal tongues through various elements is brilliantly biblical. If you’re already familiar with his past works such as the subliminal classic “Adagio Fishing,” “Tooth Mama Coming,” “Schizoid Zither...Mutations,” and “Flatboat River Witch: 1994 - 2015,” to name a few, all of whom have been released by the fine folks over at ULYSSA, who are not a label but an art project, then his magnum opus “Umburkus Returns” will surely set the spiritual tone for your next exciting expedition into the great unknown.
