MUSLIMGAUZE
Syrinjia (Soleilmoon Recordings)
Reviewed by Sherman Wick

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Syrinjia was originally issued as a groove-focused departure for the prolific Muslimgauze. Bryn Jones, who passed away in 1998, led the Manchester, England experimental electronic group. Soleilmoon Recordings (Portland, Oregon) is re-releasing several recordings domestically. Before its re-release, this record was extremely rare, released in a run of only 850 copies. Overall, the music is less experimental and more house/dance oriented. A Jamaican dub-reggae sound is combined with the ever-present Middle Eastern and Indian music samples and loops as well as 70s German electronic influences.

Muslimgauze records rely heavily on the unusual time signatures and instrumentation of Middle Eastern music manipulated and distorted electronically into fascinating soundscapes. On this session, rhythm is markedly more central to the music. Hence, it is more accessible, and a fine starting point for listeners interested in, yet unfamiliar with their music. The opening track, "Wajroo Dalak," sets the tone for the entirety of the two-CD set: a driving drum and bass line plays along with an incessant metronome-like blipping and a loop of a bowed string instrument drops in and out of the mix for slightly askew musical flavor. The driving drumbeat is omnipresent, and "Amira Kadal Srinagar" is another superb example. It is accompanied by an instrumental loop that is sped up to create a psychedelic feel to the music. Manipulating vocal samples is another common technique used on the record; for example, "Holy Man" plays the vocal sample as a fill against the constant reggae beat. "Mosque Radio," once again, makes use of a vocal sample and propelling beat, but with a scratchy record hiss in the background providing added texture.

The tracks on the record are excitingly aberrant dance music. Jones' reverence for the Middle East and his hope for resolution to problems facing the region became sadly more apparent after his death. Tracks with titles such as "Taliban" don't go over well with certain audiences. They are most likely the same individuals who had not heard of the Taliban until September 11, 2001. This record's loving respect for the region was created by Jones, who never was a practicing Muslim or traveled to the region, and it underlines the importance of art in highlighting the gray areas that politics is satisfied with making black and white. It could serve as an excellent stimulus for a discussion on complicated issues that have such a critical impact on people's lives. So next time you're at a hip party, pop this cool and ponderous record into the CD player.

© 2005 - Sherman Wick