Lahore & Marseille, Mort Aux Vaches & Syrinjia
The following appeared in Ellipse.
Who can still say that Muslimgauze is always the same? More proof to the contrary with these three recent releases (and not the last, there's always a new one).
The format of "Lahore & Marseille" is unique: 2 CD singles in a cardboard sleeve - something I've never seen before. Musically, the atmosphere is quite different from one CD to the next. "Lahore," 17 minutes, is very fast, almost completely electronic, practically techno at times, but softened slightly by an oriental melody. "Marseille," divided into three distinct parts, is more difficult to describe. Lots of voices taken from films ("Hate," among others) on the first and second parts, somewhat less unrelenting, and with many different sampled rhythms. Astonishing.
The best of the lot is "Mort Aux Vaches." Bryn Jones is accompanied by two other musicians who bring a welcome diversity to the sound. Here is a Muslimgauze more ethnic than ever. Those who liked "Zul'm" or "Narcotic" can snatch up "Mort Aux Vaches" without any hesitation - Muslimgauze at the top of his form!
Finally, an LP with a fairly unattractive sleeve. Here Bryn leads us through the realm of dub. A total of nine fairly short pieces, they are minimalist, and often made up of some ambient sounds and/or oriental voices, blips, and sampled rhythms. "Syrinjia" is totally baffling upon the first listen, but grabs you on the second. Let yourself be seduced.
review by Jean-Marc Boucher
This review originally appeared in Ellipse No.
2 July, 1998
see also Lahore & Marseille, Mort Aux Vaches, Syrinjia (CD) & Syrinjia (LP)
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Lahore & Marseilles Lahore & Marseilles (re-issue) Mort Aux Vaches Syrinjia (CD) Syrinjia (LP)