Riley's place in the minimalism camp of modern classical music has been secured ever since his '60s debut. His career eventually found its zenith with such milestones as 1964's
In C and 1969's
A Rainbow in Curved Air.
Riley's use of cyclical and repetitive patterns brought comparisons to fellow minimalist Steve Reich during this time, too. Having since delved deeply into Indian music by way of several years of study with the master singer Pandit Pran Nath,
Riley found a fine middle ground for his classical/minimalist training and the music of India on this 1980 release. With a specialized Yamaha keyboard and a 16-track studio as his tools,
Riley creates four instrumental longplayers here, all sporting a mix of Far-Eastern atmospherics and minimalist explorations. Meditative yet quite provocative,
Riley's Shri Camel will definitely please his longtime fans. ~ Stephen Cook