Rough Guide
Arabesque :
traditional Roots meet modern beats (var,2002)*
Lots of Arabic beats suffer from a rather primitive use of synthesisers and rhythms which makes the Arabic music not much better. It might not have been an easy task to find better examples from the region/the genre. Not much is available here or made for use on our market any how. Therefore I am not sure how much big labels make an effort with compilations like this for a preceded musical (and non commercial compatible) research comparable with a collector's tasteful overview selected with patience before good musical examples are compiled. Several of the tracks are a mixture between the still hard, harsh or too easily composed electronic sounds with Arabic music. These can be called a 'meeting' all right but not the perfect transformation for the best of both in communication or fusion. The combinations might work all right on a dance floor ; musically the used electronic beats remain somewhat primitive for the refined part of Arabic culture which now fails to come out with its skilled roots as much as before. From a hiphop/ easy modern pop beats/ techno fusion point of view this compilation might offer some satisfying examples. And me, myself, I have to remember this is more the African part of Arabic culture (which is as fusing with the European culture mostly alive in France and Marocco ; - no Algerian sounds are heard here on this compilation- ; the groupshowever used came from Marrakech, London, Paris, New York, Beirut, Berlin). Favourite tracks are by Aisha Kandisha's' Jarring Effects (a group we heard before ; these people were amongst the early musicians using Arabic sounds with electronic/trance like effects or a modern (beats) effect). Also Oojami gives the Arabic sound an extra dynamic effect, both good for dance halls. But the outstanding track I believe is from DuOud (or Mehdi Habbab-Smadi), with a more refined use of electronics combined with oud, very well produced and more in harmony and respect for each instrument's own aspects and environmental effect. If all tracks on this album were like that I would have highly recommended this product. (DuOud's album will be released in November 2002 on Label Blue ; I surely look forward to that one). But the following tracks can't change my opinion about hiphop, which I always found primitive, one dimentional and amusical. Also the other tracks with additional rhythms without soul on just a memory of Arabic melodies can't even get me to even listen to the whole track. The CD has a comprehensive booklet with information on the groups and the scene in the 7 cities mentioned.
