Justin Adams & Mauro Durante

In October 2020, Justin Adams, whose post-punk approach has been en-riched by a passion for Arabic and African trance/blues, and Mauro Durante, a visionary inheritor of the Taranta roots of his native Puglia got together to make an intense and intimate album: ‘Still Moving’.

They recorded live in the studio, without overdubs. Together they found what was essential in their common sound, reaching into traditional music from Italy (folk songs like ‘Damme La Manu’, classics like ‘Amara Terra Mia’) and America (‘Little Moses’, the Carter Family classic). Original songs, like ‘Dark Road Down’ mix the wild pizzica rhythm of Southern Italy and trance boogie, while ‘Djinn Pulse’ goes from serene instrumental minimalism to hypnotic catharsis. The title song ‘Still Moving’ evokes Mediterranean migration with the ancient frame drum and raw electric guitar providing a starkly beautiful landscape. Justin Adams, guitarist, producer and composer, plays with Robert Plant in his band, the Sensational Spaceshifters. Justin’s production on landmark albums by Tinariwen and Rachid Taha highlight his feel for North African groove, while his award-winning projects with Gambian maestro Juldeh Camara linked griot tradition with raw blues spirit. This new collaboration with Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino violinist/percussionist Mauro Durante stems from a concert led by Ludovico Einaudi, the Notte della Taranta in Puglia, where the two first played together, recognising their common ground in the trance rhythms of Taranta. Together they create a raw, stripped-back sound that moves and mesmerises.