Monday, January 24, 2011

Muslimgauze - Return of Black September (1996, Ars Nova / Staalplat)

Manchester born Bryn Jones is my favorite electronic producer of the 90's. He quickly carved a niche for himself with a cerebral brand of Dub, Minimal and Electro beats that were awash with heavy Drone. Each piece also included samples from Middle Eastern sourced audio.

Jones music was sympathetic to the P.L.O. and much of the album art contained generally militant Islamic imagery. Recordings had titles such as Hamas Arc, Azzazin, Gun Aramaic, Fatah Guerilla and Zuriff Moussa. Also of note is that it seems as if his music was actually its own entity. Jones never visited the Middle East nor did he speak indepth on the topic.

His tragic death in 1999 was untimely but kept him from inevitably being targeted and harassed by U.S. authorities post-9/11.

Return of Black September is his piece de resistance in a most prolific body of work that included a library of over one hundred albums. September is also his most beautiful achievement. One hour long track begins with dark experimental ambient textures, becomes dotted with Middle Eastern audio samples and builds into a tense wall of Tribal, Industrial and Eastern percussion. The result is a vivid trip through the desolate landscapes of an endless warzone.

Muslimgauze material is like nothing else. An impressive catalog of some of the best, most intellectually and emotionally profound electronic music ever made.

Also tacked on the end is a very creepy extended remix of Gun Aramaic's "Opiate and Mullah".

Get It Here

Or: Muslimgauze

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