Rough Guide to Arabesque Audio CD – CD, July 30, 2002

East-West musical fusion is not a new phenomenom. It's a natural part of musical evolution. However, musical changes in the Mid- and near-east have been occuring at a faster rate than ever before with the advent of high-speed communication networks. The Rough Guide to Arabesque chronicles some of the more recent changes in Arabic electronica. It demonstrates what happens when traditional roots meet modern beats.Modern north African music isn't all about rai, chaabi, and Transglobal Underground, although these are certainly important aspects. In this compilation, the major Western influences are hiphop and breakbeats. It's interesting to hear how the traditional eastern sounds blend with western pop. At times, you can hear what sounds like an Egyptian raqs sharqi orchestra, and then all of a sudden you're slammed with hard-hitting breakbeats and aggressive male rapping.Oojami, with the dancey track "Fantasy" from the album "Bellydancing Breakbeats", is obviously part of the breakbeat sector, whereas Clotaire K's "Beyrouth Ecoeuree" features classic Arabic female vocals punctuated by male rapping.Nicodemus, featuring Andrea Montiero, is next with "Desert Dancer," which samples the hell out of traditional percussive rhythms and overlays it all with Egyptian orchestral strings, keyboards, and a sweet-voiced woman. It's laid-back and slow, and definitely a prime example of Middle Eastern chillout music.MoMo brings the tempo back up with the fun "Dourbiha" which mixes hiphop with folkish sounds. Ali Slimani's "S'Habi" has a house feel to it.Mafia Maghrebine's "Frere Faut Que Tu Saches" is primarily hiphop, with only a bit of the mid-eastern sound. Although traditional darbouka and wind instruments can be heard in the background, the foreground is aggressively western.Soap Kills' "Tango" takes a tango rhythm and plays with it, turning it into something wholly different from the usual. I'll betcha there have been some fascinating dance routines done to this number, and if there haven't been, there soon will be.Gnawa Impulse finishes the CD with "Lahillah Express," which is a good example of mid-eastern drum and bass.All total, the Rough Guide to Arabesque is an excellent cross-selection of modern, north African and middle eastern electronica. If you're a fan of electronica, and are curious about the traditional sounds from these areas, this just might be your gateway CD.

Arabesque is not a specific style, and so this compilation is basically a collection of electronic Arabic music, under many sub categories and styles, and from many countries.I don't like some of the tracks, and I didn't like it at all when I first heard it, but if you listen to it a few times you'll find that the songs are mostly very creatively produced, with traditional roots. Perhaps this is just a collection of the most high quality Arabic electronica, but there isn't (mercifully) TOO much of the slick techno beats that have little depth. Most of the artists reside in London, Paris, New York or other western cities, but are foreign born, and so they incorporate western studio techniques and styles while making them unique (mostly), and a few songs have lyrics in French or English.The first track is Moroccan, with strong roots, and even a tolerable modern, "bass-driven" beat. There's some Arabic rap here as well, all of it excellent. Beyrouth Ecoeuree stands out, and Aalash Kwawna, by U-Cef, seems to adress the issue of censorship and free speech. Sidi Mansour is actually quite beautiful, with a beat that never becomes too monotonous, and Arabic orchestra, voice and chorus. Gnawa Impulse's Lahillah Express is very compelling, blending a soulful voice of a sufi gnawa singer with electronics (though it could have done without the electronics, really.)All in all, if you like Arabic music you should check it out, though there are definitely a few disappointing tracks. You'll probably find it interesting if you like electronic music, as this is full of many different kinds.

This is like a slowed down trance music - definitely sounds middle eastern with the rhythyms, melodies, vocals. The instruments are mostly synthesizers as far as I can tell. The music is mellow, hypnotic, and kind of atmospheric. It doesn't have a lot of the "guy-yelling-obnoxiously-in-arabic" that I have disliked in other middle eastern music.Definitely above average as far as the World Music collections that I've heard.

This is not your stereotypical Arabic/North African CD. If you are used to North African music, you probably have heard Rai, al-Jeel, "bellydance" or something. Well, this CD will blow you away. The focus of it is Arab-western fusion, and is uniquely north African. You can't help but find yourself dancing to these tracks, and the remixes are especially cool. In fact, the whole CD radiates an aura of coolness. Check it out.