(idm) review: Muslimgauze _Melt_ MP3-only release

From laerm
Sent Thu, Dec 10th 1998, 20:21

i do believe this is the first review of an mp3-only release. i hope that
more artists do as muslimgauze has done and release exclusive mp3's.

Muslimgauze - _Melt_
1998 MP3s; distributed via Pretentious.Net

all tracks Bryn Jones

1. Rebiana Sand Sea 5.30
2. You Have Limbs and Baksheesh 3.19
3. Melt 2.41
4. Turn Left for Jabaliya 6.12

if bryn jones keeps on releasing thingss on mp3, it's gonna make life a
lot easier for muslimgauze fans. we're not gonna need to buy 2 releases a
month, each one a limited release of 300 or so, just to keep up.
if bryn jones keeps on releasing stuff this good on mp3, it's gonna make
life a lot more interesting for a lot of people, because they'll get
turned onto muslimgauze, then there's going to be more people after his
disgustingly limited editions.
but i say let 'em fight me for the discs. good music needs support, right?

and boy is the music good.

track one, "rebiana sand sea", has a rhythm loop that kinda reminds me of
a rhythm bed from one of brian eno's mid-'70's albums, like _before and
after science_ or _another green world_, except at 45 instead of 33.
bouncin' and jivin' along, comes a little guitar riff. nothing truly
unique, especially for muslimgauze, but well done.
"you have limbs and baksheesh" comes in mego-style, with some good
digital interference. a chopped up hip-hop loop clatters through the
entire track, along with some of bryn's trademark middle east drones and
loops.
"melt" is another hip-hop-esque track, except it's more like an arabian 
gescom doing hip-hop. the way the loops break and scatter, in conjunction
with the vocal samples, sounds very gescom-ish to me. still good, though.
the final track, "turn left for jabaliya", begins with some heavily
distorted dub/hip-hop drums, and a slight way in, a very squelchy synth
lines weaves in and out of the beats and effects. and the beats and
effects and synths just keep on tweaking away, twisting and squirming...

not exactly groundbreaking stuff, but it's good. damned good. and it's
free. all you need to do is download. http://Pretentious.Net/Muslimgauze

another muslimgauze mp3-only release is located at a different location
(name of which currently escapes me). entitled _Fedayeen_, one track a
aweek comes out there. now to download those... :)

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                                                                      ####
a disturbance in a system.                                            ####
laerm. @voicenet.com                                                  ##:#
                  something kinda sad about the way things have come to be
                        desensitzed to everything/what became of subtlety?