Another hard to classify CD by Pax Recordings. Some facts first: Mjane is an ensemble led by conductor, performer and composer Molly Sturges, founded in 2003 in New Mexico. The ensemble has six musicians together combining an usual set of instruments: Molly Jane Sturges (conduction, composition, vocals, harmonium), CK Barlow (sampling/live sampling), DJ Ultraviolet (Shawn O'Neal)(turntables), Moustafa Stefan Dill (Oud) and Jefferson Voorhees (drums/percussion). Mjane offers a blend that is typical for modern music: composition
and improvisation are interwoven; acoustic and
electronic/electro-acoustic instruments and soundsources are used. From time to time the music comes close to idiom taken from all kinds of ethnic music. Besides we hear traditional playing of the oud but also turntables and samplers. What is Mjane aiming at with the help of all these different means
and influences? Liner notes give some explanation: "Prayer from the Underbelly is one long performance broken by conducted pauses. It is a piece which addresses the concept of duality and was inspired by Sturges'near death experience during the birth of her daughter. Approaching voice as instrument, Sturges expresses herself through vocables with limited use of lyrics. Drawing from vocal resonance in
the body, Sturges seeks to get beneath traditonal constructs of emotion into less interpretable areas of expression and
communication." True, despite the fact that Mjane is a melting pot of all kinds of influences, the music is very personal and emotional and has great impact. Specially because of the singing by Molly Sturges and Julie West. Nice surprise from Pax!
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This quintet is almost impossible to categorize. Then again, stereotyping the arts in general can be risky business. Here, vocalist Molly Sturges also conducts this band through a hodgepodge of musical soundscapes, comprising avant-world music, electronica, and jazz improvisation. The overall muse transmitted boasts various angles and mood-evoking sentiment, throughout this album recorded live at a venue in Santa Fe, NM. 

C.K. Barlow’s sampling maneuvers generally serve as background effects. And in some instances it seems that Ms Sturges’ otherworldly chant and drone style vocalize is modulated through live electronics. There are a multitude of abstracts, although a gentle flow permeates the entire outing. Nonetheless, a sense of darkness combined with elements of the macabre surface on occasion. It’s an interesting mix as tribal-like percussion grooves coalesce with Moustapha Stefan Dill’s Oud performances and DJ Ultraviolet’s turntable escapades. But nothing gets out of hand here, although Ms Sturge’s vocals often provide an eerie calmness counterbalanced by moments of high pitched shrieks. If you think you’ve heard it all done before, well, you might want to try this album out for size. (Recommended for the adventure seeker…)
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This very interesting recording was captured during 2nd Annual High Mayhem Festival, in Santa Fe, NM, in November of 2003.  It is quite well recorded, after the intro.   During the introduction, composer Molly Sturges leads in with sort of "low-key" vocals (what I mean by that is that you really have to listen to grasp what she is doing), but as the players get settled in a bit, and the piece begins to take shape, it is clear that the voice is being explored as the key instrument.  It's not "spoken word", or some drab/screaming speaker flogging you about with phrases that don't make sense.  On the other hand, as it goes into the second movement, there are some strong vocal stretches that might be "frightening" to some.  & no wonder, according to the liners, this was based on a Near Death Experience (NDE) that Ms. Sturges had during the birth of her daughter.  I can tell you (having been through an NDE myself) that there are parts of this that remind me of the ghostly "snatches" you see/hear when passing through the tunnel.  From a listener's standpoint, this will require headphones and some level of intensity... you can not grasp what the performers are trying to communicate if you try to do this as "background" for your cocktail party.  Adventurous listeners the world over will agree when I declare this to be MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED... those without any sense of adventure will probably fare better listening to the theme from Mary Poppins!
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This piece's concept builds upon a close encounter with death during a birth, something that was experienced by Molly Jane Sturges, composer/improviser of these prayers along with mJane members DJ Ultraviolet (turntables) CK Barlow (sampling) Moustapha Stephan Dill (oud) Jefferson Voorhees (percussion) plus the additional voice of Julie West. We're often into Diamanda Galas/Meredith Monk territories as far as sonority and influences are concerned; suffering voices and lulling lamentations dance with harmoniums and electronics, while the oud gives a touch of spicy poetry whenever entering the frame. Every once in a while the musicians take off in ritual flights where the rhythmical scansion nears the listener to a native indian kind of invocation. "Edie" is maybe the best part: a highly engrossing mantra whose hypnotic charm is broken only by the oud/voice final beauty which is "She"; but there are many beguiling moments in this exquisite act of remembrance.
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