I Shall Sing Until My Land Is Free Vinyl & CDs

Review: Even by the standards of the late, great Bryn Jones AKA Muslimgauze - an artist whose enormous catalogue has only grown since his death in 1999 - Rhiza Coil of Resin is something of an obscurity - a set previously only available as part of a rare box set. It was reportedly recorded at some point following the release of Narcotic (1997) and explores many of the same sonic themes. Here available as a standalone CD for the first time, the five tracks variously touch on lo-fi, delay-laden drum & bass ('Deceive For Yourself'), redlined bass and mangled breakbeats (both takes on the suitably heavy 'Arab Quarter'), experimental electronic noise meets ambient acid ('Why Iraq') and deep, dubbed-out trip-hop ('Effendi') - all peppered with his usual Arabic spoken word samples, field recordings and found sounds.

Review: Any album by Muslimgauze should be approached with a combination of trepidation and excitement. We don't know where the sounds will take us prior to hitting play, and along the sonic odyssey there's every chance we'll be challenged and hit hard with some heavyweight moments of "what was" or "what is that?" Nevertheless, the late-IDM and underground, experimental electronic icon never ceases to amaze and delight in equal measure. Attempting to dissect or analyse the Manchester (well, Salford)-born producer's work is always challenging, especially given the vast context. A back catalogue which at times almost feels infinite, trying to identify specific traits and touchstones is difficult, if not impossible. Each collection of tracks should be treated individually, then, and in the case of Rhiza you're talking about skeletal percussive drum & bass and jungle, heavily influenced by the Middle Eastern and North African dance music styles.