Twelve Tribes – Review by Linda Kohanov

Souther‘s second release shows a marked evolution in style from his first album, recorded just a year earlier. Not only are his keyboard parts based on more original timbres, Souther also abandons customary drum sounds for a stronger emphasis on live and sampled percussion. Rather than a standard kick drum, for instance, he uses an African log drum. In place of cymbals, he uses samples of someone breathing. The emphasis is still on catchy melodies and contemporary jazz textures, yet Souther‘s creative use of ethnic rhythms and instruments adds a new level of sophistication to his accessibility.