Following up one of the most influential releases in world music is no small task, but James Asher definitely rose to the occasion with "Feet in the Soil 2"! BY design, this music offers celebrations of danceable energies, and of African/Aboriginal lifestyles. It's also about drum-centered music and rhythmic playing simply for pure enjoyment. The magic of this music is Asher's rhythmical alchemy that is derived from combining the instruments in ways that lay down deep grooves amidst trancey elements and percussive jams that reach into the earth for their basis. Asher plays all manner of drums, shakers, etc. and keyboards. Long-time collaborator Miles Bould plays congas, bongos and djembe. Sandeep Raval plays everything from tammy tamma and taiko drum to ashiko, djun djun, dholak and wicked ginger biscuits. Rory Baxter plays didg, an important part of the "Feet" sound, while Mike Choi plays bass guitar, and Phil Thornton plays guitars, recorder and especially effective Ebow guitar. Additional trumpet and sax round out the sound. For James, the adding of larger and deeper drums, and combining the sounds of "grooveboxes" plus a greater range of sonic possibilities helped him expand the sound without losing the initial vision. Exotic voices and rhythmic grooves, pulsating alive and trance-like, makes for a seriously winning combination here.