The Kronos Quartet - Purple Haze
Lest Doklands start to earn a reputation as the obituary focussed mp3 blog, it's time to return to business as normal. Or whatever passes for normal here, anyway. For now, that will have to include a radical string quartet playing a Jimi Hendrix track.

The Kronos Quartet burst onto the scene in the mid '80s, with an attention-grabbing second album. It featured music by Philip Glass, Conlon Nancarrow and other slightly countercultural composers, and finished with a real party piece. They played Hendrix's Purple Haze with a savage wit and obvious relish. Although they somehow manage to capture his stylistic nuances, it's not just a homage to his playing style. Rather it's a fantastic interpretation of a bit of classic rock. And don't be put off by those two frightful words sitting next to each other. Hendrix was never anywhere near the mainstream, it rocks, and it's a bona fide classic. Time to reclaim those words for the music that deserves them.

The Kronos Quartet - Purple Haze