Our preview of this album is in our ‘news’ section so I’ll go straight into the review for this quite exhilerating album.

And the fun starts starts from track 1, ‘Taq On The Beat’! First there’s the electronic heartbeat that grows louder and more intense, then the sharp resonance of the oud, and then a ratchetting of mph. Then there’s the heady, foot-tapping and exciting mix of Eastern tradition and Western rock with a sound that literally explodes out of the speakers. It’s one the most exciting starts to an album I have heard. ‘Kalashnik Love’ repeats the dose but adds vocals into the mix and a strong hint of Tex-Mex to the vibe. Brilliant! ‘Killing An Arab’ takes a more tradional Eastern route both instrumentally and vocally. And while the language used is foreign one is still able to appreciate the stunning instrumental sound, stonking melody and pumping rhythm. ‘Qat Market’ takes the same ethnic/cultural route while ‘Dubai’ a hard rock Western vibe with a threatening, dark spoken English vocal.

‘Galvanise’ sports a massive bass dance vibe that contrasts sharply and beautifully with the Eastern strings while matching the stunning rap vocal. ‘Erotic Chiftetelli’ and ‘Parov Yegar Siroon Var’ adopt a calmer, more pensive ambience as they travel at slower pace. Then it’s back to booming rhythm with shimmering strings never too far away on the instrumental song ‘Idemo Dalje.’ ‘Daddy Lolo’ is another instrumental stunner accompanied by ethnic vocals and a power-driver rhythm.

In one of the most diverse album release years I can remember, this album fills the missing East/West fusion slot magnificently. Sound quality is outstanding and the messages communicated are relevant to our troubled world. 

4/5