Review: Antal has already been dropping the worldly beats on this EP which is a fine stamp of approval for Israeli DJ and collector Elado. This marks his debut on the label having won plenty of fans for his offering on Eddie C's cult Red Motorbike. The music take its cues from all over the planet - Africa, India and the Middle East - and brims with disco joy, funk richness and plenty of earthly soul. 'Big Baba' is a classy party starter with good time feels, 'Gulab Jamun' is a foreign language acid laced love song and 'Blame' is synth heavy disco funk.
Review: These days we're used to obscure dance records from around the world getting the reissue treatment. Even so, this previously CD-only Egyptian release from 1991 is a particularly deep pick. Happily, it's well worth the reissue treatment, particularly the breezy, colourful and deliciously groovy opener "Mabsouta", a bubbly and breathy synth-pop cover of Suzanne Vega classic "Tom's Diner" that wraps Simone's Egyptian vocals and sparkling pianos around a stunning synth bassline. You'll find more summery, almost Balearic synth-pop on the flip via the cheeky Hammond organ riffs, glistening guitars and dewy-eyed chords of "Al Eih". To round things off in style, Castro-Moore offers up a brilliant "Bonus Beats Chant" version of sparse but heavy drum machine and synthesizer jam "Rekka".
Review: After an 18-month hiatus, the admirable Orange Tree Edits series returns via a first re-edit outing from former Nail Shop artist Moving Still (real name Jamal Sulaimani). Like many of the label's releases, the four reworks on show are undeniably exotic, with Sulaimani delivering revisions of exotic Arabic and Middle Eastern dancefloor workouts from the '80s and '90s. Check for example the raw, Italo-style analogue electronics, jacking machine beats and drifting Arabic synthesizer lines of "I'll Tell Ya For A Tenner", or the melodious, life-affirming Middle Eastern synth-pop bliss of head-in-the-clouds gem "Ah Stop". Arguably best of all though is opener "Bint Al Sa7ara", a druggy stomper where snake charmer style leads lines and North African vocals ride a seriously druggy, arpeggio-driven groove.
Review: Sababa 5 have only just dropped their well-received debut album but now they are back with a quick follow-up in the form of this one. It's a pair of funk gems on a red hot 45rpm that again mix sup their own signature sounds of psych, surf, and funk with a subtle Middle Eastern twist. 'Funk #1' kicks off with snappy drums and electric bass and lush synths that take you to the Med, all finished with some fine solo guitar work. 'Funk 2' on the reverse then gets busier with a more frenetic rhythm that is doused in funky guitar licks and wild synths as well as a killer bassline and psychedelic organ chords.
Review: Leading Tel Aviv groove unit Sababa 5 are back in action with another crisply executed missive of psyched-up delights to get adventurous parties freaking out in all the right ways. The four-piece have earned their stripes backing singers such as Gili Yalo, Ester Rada and Liraz Charhi, but here they go in hard on the instrumental with two old favourites given a distinctive new twist. 'Popcorn' sounds like you've never heard it before thanks to an offbeat rhythm section backing up that classic riff. Meanwhile 'The Birdie Song' gets embellished with actual birdsong and guest player Matan Caspi playing a darbuka drum, hitting the spot between novelty and serious musical chops in style.
Review: Habibi Funk present a legendary Lebanese work from Issam Hajali's group Ferkat Al Ard. This groundbreaking release from 1978 is a truly international affair, as Arab, jazz, folk and Brazilian styles criss-cross with flair under the arrangement guidance of Ziad Rahbani. The sound moves between pop and psych to touches of bossa nova and tropicalia. For diggers who have been after this record for some time, it's worth noting the band insisted on two tracks being excluded which were on the original version, but they have been replaced by the equally stunning 'Juma;a 6 Hziran'. This is a gem of Lebanese musical history, and a quintessential release in the ever-essential research undertaken by Habibi Funk.
Review: When members of mega-bands work with relatively obscurer artists, we're always intrigued. But a potential trapping factor is in thinking Jarak Qaribak, for example, is more of a Jonny Greenwood album than a Dudu Tassa one, when in fact the exact opposite is the case. Tassa, an Israeli singer-guitarist who fuses Middle Eastern stylings with contemporary rock, lends a challenging structural terrain to the Radiohead member's electric guitar licks, with the former's Arabic and Hebrew lyrics moving atmospherically against them. A star cast of fellow Israeli artists accompany the pair, as serene vocal beat-driven movements plod and swell away in an appealingly nu-proggy fashion.
Review: Available here for the first time on vinyl, Lebanese singer Fairuz's 1991 album - previously only sold on CD and tape - has lost none of its romance or immersive qualities since the last time you heard it. Meanwhile, if this is your first outing with the eastern Mediterranean siren, prepare to dive into a mesmerising experience in which Arabic tones meets jazz-funk on an impressive scale, with unarguably rich depth.
A career spanning six decades, Fairuz is nothing short of a legend in her home region, with many citing her among the most famous vocalists from the Arab world. The Soul of Lebanon, no less, her voice is incredible but the work she aligned with, and pushed into the mainstream, is perhaps what's most impressive. Straddling genres and cultures with aplomb, the tragedy of the western music industry's homogenous attitude means many are still unaware. Thankfully, here's chance to rectify that.
Review: Alek Lee builds on his long-standing relationship with Antinote by finally coming through with his debut album, You. As one of the most respected DJs operating in Tel Aviv, not to mention playing in bands like Shame On Us and Project Runaway, he's built up a reputation for expansive music knowledge and an instinct for the obscure, which makes him fit in perfectly amongst the Antinote crew. There's a washed-out, surf reverb mood to the likes of 'Eretz Acheret', and his laconic vocal delivery gets embellished by guest spots from the likes of Keren Ilan and Eyal Talmudi. For Balearic sun seekers and reflective road trippers, this is an album rich in feeling to burrow its way into your heart for a lifetime.
Review: Since launching a few years back, Jannis Sturtz's Habibi Funk label has done a terrific job in sourcing and reissuing generally brilliant music from North Africa and the Middle East. The label's second multi-artist compilation does a good job in proving this point by offering up a pleasingly eclectic range of "historic popular music from the Arab world". There's much to enjoy, from the Steely Dan-esque West Coast warmth of Douaa's 'Haditouni' and the heavy psych-funk of 'Ahl Jedba' by Fadoul, to the synth-sporting riff on the Bee Gees' 'Staying Alive' that is Najib Al Housh's 'Ya En Daly', and the slow motion, reggae-driven sunshine pop of Ibrahim Hesnawi's 'Tendme'.
Review: Liraz's latest release Enerjy is a potent fusion of cultural activism and musical prowess. With four tracks sung in Farsi, she ignites a musical revolution in the Middle Eastern landscape. Collaborating with Uri Brauner Kinrot, the album pulsates with raw energy and a fervent call for global harmony. Liraz's vocals exude passion and purpose, serving as a conduit for positivity and light in tumultuous times. Enerjy is not just a collection of songs; it's a bold statement of resilience and hope, highlighting Liraz's unwavering commitment to bridging cultural divides through the power of music.
Mountain Disco (feat Yuli Shafriri - bonus track) (4:38)
Review: Eje Eje - the solo project of one Itamar Kluger - blends tropes of Middle Eastern, Mediterranean, funk and dub music to produce thoroughly danceable multi-instrumental trances, as is evidenced by their compelling new release here, 'Five Seasons'. Springboarding from his former work with the Satellites, Kluger deploys his skills as Eje Eje to incantate a special blend of perspectives, reflecting his own interest in humankind's subjective perception of reality. Informed by national and global cultural movements and traditions, he insists on collectively creating and sharing stories, at times to explain the unexplainable.
Review: 9T Antiope's Horror Vacui intersects where the eerie tale of a mysterious house mirrors the complexities of human existence lie. Nima Aghiani and Sara Bigdeli Shamloo masterfully blend elements of Iranian heritage with contemporary sonic exploration, delving into themes of identity, displacement and the relentless passage of time. Through sparse instrumentation and haunting vocals, the duo navigates the liminal spaces between past and present, old and new, creating an atmospheric soundscape that is both unsettling and captivating. The title track, with its subtle shifts in language and texture, encapsulates the album's exploration of memory and the fear of forgetting. Horror Vacui is an album that defies easy categorisation, balancing on the precipice between structure and formlessness, heaviness and softness. It challenges listeners to confront their own fears and uncertainties, urging them to embrace the space between dualities. In doing so, it offers a profound meditation on the nature of existence itself, leaving a lasting impact on the listener's psyche and memory.
Review: Lebanese singer Pol Seif has linked with various European instrumentalists for this Molo Sayat project , which has its base camp around the Med. The band compose their material in Arabic, Italian and Romani languages and their first release on Zephyrus Records oozes a soul soothing calmness and plenty of colourful folk sounds. The musicianship is second to none as saxophone, clarinet, double bass and trumpets are all blended into one smooth and beautiful soundscape as Serf's voice adds another layer of magic. Whether jazzy and upbeat such as 'Kai Zhas Seka' or slow and mournful like 'Adame' these are all essential sounds.
Review: Born on the vibrant streets of Baku, Azerbaijani's gitara culture is a mesmerising fusion of indigenous traditions and global influences. Through eras of the oil boom and Soviet rule, the electric guitar has become a powerful symbol of cultural expression and Rahman Memmedli is a legendary figure who revolutionised this sound with innovative techniques and impassioned performances. Drawing inspiration from mugham music, Memmeddli's compositions resonate with soul-stirring melodies and electrifying solos and Azerbaijani Gitara Vol. 2 promises to impress listeners with its depth, diversity and unbridled passion, taking you on a journey through the heart and soul of Azerbaijan's musical heritage.
The Illusion Of Serenity/Arrest & Detention (3:11)
Golliwog/Masculine Conquest (1:58)
Hope Arises From Despair (3:27)
Ending Parade (1:14)
Review: There are back stories, and then there's Chess of the Wind. Sheila Gharachedaghi's remarkable movie soundtrack wouldn't be here today if it weren't for the fact the movie itself - a 1976, pre-revolutionary Iranian queer-gothic-class-horror masterpiece - had been banned in its homeland and presumed lost forever, until a copy turned up in an antique shop. That was 2014, and six years later it was re-released, having benefited from restoration by the Martin Scorsese Film Foundation. A remarkable insight not just into a society long since lost, but its pitfalls and problems, to accompany this Gharachedaghi combines classical Persian instrumentation and atonal dissonance, traditional melodies and experimental moods for a score that's just as much of a landmark.
The Illusion Of Serenity/Arrest & Detention (3:11)
Golliwog/Masculine Conquest (1:58)
Hope Arises From Despair (3:27)
Ending Parade (1:14)
Review: Mohammad Reza Aslani's acclaimed 1976 masterpiece Chess Of The Wind hears its once-lost soundtrack reissued for the first time. Composed by Tehran-born musician Sheida Gharachedaghi, the eponymous score lent Aslani's film a much needed added weight of mystery and intrigue, which historically compounded well with the film's then-unfortunate, but now mythologised, banning by the Pahlavi Imperial State of Iran upon its release. The score was lost along with the film in its entirety; only when it was rediscovered in an antiques shop in 2014 did it go on to receive a full thoroughgoing remaster by the Martin Scorsese Film Foundation. With the film revolving around the death of a wealthy estate owner and the familial fallout that ensues, Gharachedaghi's score - made up of Persian classical instrumentation fused with her Western classical conservatory background - makes for a chilling but ultimately warming, radical and proto-revolutionary sonic experience.
Review: Yemenite music in Israel is a uniquely Middle-Eastern style born from the immigration of Yemenite Jews to Israel. Initially religious and ceremonial, the music featured separate male and female songs accompanied by drumming on olive oil tin cans. Aharon Amram, born in Sana'a, Yemen, immigrated to Israel as a child and became a central figure in this genre. From the 1960s onward, he released numerous records on Sounds of Yemen in which he blended traditional religious songs with his own secular compositions, Western electric instruments and modern arrangements. This double LP showcases Amram's diverse catalogue and undying influence on contemporary Mizrahi.
Review: Tel Aviv-based band Boom Pan marks their 20th anniversary with an album that mixes up cinematic atmospherics and high-powered surf rock. It is their first for the Batov Records label and has eight tracks of global sonic tripping that go from Middle Eastern exotica to scores to an imagined Spaghetti Western and on to sandy beach parties by the Mediterranean. It's all made with a mix of catchy guitar riffs, tuba basslines and big drums that immerse you in engaging sounds and great musicianship that is always pushing at the traditional genre boundaries.
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