Telek Realworld Rating: ***
Some previously unheard music triggers instant recognition, based on familiarity of style, or on obvious influences. If you've never heard the roots music from Papua New Guinea before, on first listen you could easily be forgiven for going through a list of possibilities that might include Malagasy, Hawaiian and Native North American. It's just not obvious stuff. Lilting three-part harmonies and gentle acoustic guitar laced with rolling percussion is at the heart of the music of George Mamua Telek (who performs under just his surname.)
In tandem with Australian David Bridie (best known as leader of the folk/pop band, My Friend the Chocolate Cake), Telek takes the music of Papua New Guinea's Tolai people, and updates it with keyboards, electric bass and guitar, and ambient sounds. The hybrid is for the most part executed with a sure hand, excepting the track Waitpela Gras, where vestiges of prog rock suddenly make an unwelcome visit -- a heavy-handedness sadly all too regular a feature of Realworld recordings. Overall though, it's charming, and sweetly evocative music.