Review Summary: The Afrocelts put more emphasis on the Western African culture and escape the cult setting, creating a name for themselves.
2001 was an interesting year for music. Many bands including Rage against the Machine, which revolutionized the music industry, had broken up and a new interest for music was slowly being adapted. Many genres collapsed or gave way to other ones. However, the Afro Celt Sound System was just beginning to show up with a different type of revolution that involved the pioneered effort of the movement of world music and ethnic electronica, highly unique to the time. The result, Volume Three: Further in Time, was a sign of good things to come.
When you look in terms of Volume Two and Volume Three, there is now a heavier emphasis of African cultural music added to the mix of Irish music, which used highly dominant in the last two Afro Celt albums. This is starting to give more of a liberal taste to Further in Time, where now the Celtic sound has reached a great balance with the West African sounds of the desert, creating more nostalgia, and a more enjoyable album.
Another well played move is the variety of cover vocalists in this album. Take for example, in Life Begin Again, the harsh archetype Desert music mixes nicely with Led Zeppelin vocalist, Robert Plant’s deeper, darker, and heavier singing. Another example includes Peter Gabriel’s traditionally balanced vocals with the upbeat, light, and happy Celtic theme of When You’re Falling. While they may not be permanent members of the Afro Celt Sound System, they blend in well the group, making themselves sound like they are a part of the group. Now that’s a plus.
What the Afro Celt Sound System is most pioneering in Volume Three: Further in Time is the enhanced sounding ethnic electronica style it first started in 1996. In the development of five years, they have never sounded more glitzy, cohesive, abrasive, or colorful as there are in Volume Three. Proof? Shadowman is the ultimate example of a trademark Afro Celt song, breathing life into both the Celtic and African culture while storming the listener in frays and storms of electronica, but coming out with something quite beautiful.
The efforts that Afro Celt Sound System made on this album are undeniably noticeable. They have begun to unearth the missing Western African sound more and more, making Volume Three better than Two and One in one way. They also developed the current Irish sound they first established in 1996, another advantage to this album. Finally, this album altogether has been the best effort made by the Afro Celts besides Anatomic. This is the power that true world music has, because it really picked up the pace of the world music revolution.
