By Brian Tucker

Sometimes interesting things fall through the cracks. Some would argue the music of Hall & Oates, no matter how many albums they’ve sold, has never gotten a fair shake in the public arena. In cleaning up around the office and sorting what to keep and donate I stumbled across a CD I was sent a year ago – Koot Hoomi Presents: The Dark Side of Hall and Oates. I too, though inadvertently, have played a role in the falling through the cracks issue.

Koot Hoomi, (original spelling is Kuthumi) is considered to be a member of the “spiritual hierarchy called the Masters of the Ancient Wisdom” that is believed to oversee development of the human race on Earth towards “higher levels of consciousness.” Given the elevation Koot Hoomi has given the music of Hall & Oates its name is fairly appropriate, taking the pop and soul duo’s work to another state of mind.

The Dark Side was sent to me by Robert Lurie, a UNCW graduate I wrote about a few years ago regarding No Certainty Attached: Steve Kilbey and The Church, a well-received book he authored about Australian band The Church and its lead singer. Lurie is also singer and musician and a member of Koot Hoomi.

The Dark Side isn’t fifteen kitschy covers of 70s and 80s hit makers Hall & Oates (and former 1989 Azalea Festival headliners), nor is it a riff on the duo as seen in movies (She’s Out of My League). It’s pure artistic re-interpretation. Released early March 2010, it takes the work of Hall & Oates seriously in a Lazy Sunday afternoon sort of way, and takes to task anyone who might suggest otherwise the integrity of their work.

The album is a re-imagining of Hall & Oates songs. Melodies and skeletons of them remain but these versions are drastically different. This is apparent from the outset as “Kiss on My List” is reworked completely as a three part Suite that opens sounding like a section from Apocalypse Now and transcends into Middle Eastern textures.

“Say It Isn’t So” becomes an acoustic only number while “One on One” is doled out as crooning by way of light reggae flavoring. Perhaps the duo’s biggest hit, “Maneater,” is sung by Harper Piver resulting in a gentler riot grrrl take on the song. Song choices stray from solely interpreting the duo’s hits, though it’s interesting that “Private Eyes” is missing. No issue there, but it’s interesting to wonder what Koot Hoomi might have made of that handclap heavy hit.

The band describes The Dark Side as if the music was “created in an alternate universe” and generously incorporates various astringent styles like psychedelia, backwards masking, world flavors, and indifferent harmonies. It was recorded on an ancient Tascam 488 analog tape recorder (the result is serene and rich sounding) and Koot Hoomi rifle not just through hit songs but look back to the Daryl Hall’s demos.

In the liner notes Lurie makes his case for the duo, citing example after example in their defense. But in the end The Dark Side is what it should be – expression of art through another artist. It’s not in the vein of those “Pickin’ on (insert band name)” series. What Koot Hoomi does is more serious than those tribute albums while simultaneously having creative fun with it.