Acid Arab Jdid
Released on Belgium's Crammed Discs, Jdid perfectly embodies the label's reputation for releasing adventurous, cross-breeding records. For this month's release, Acid Arab collaborate with musicians from North Africa and the Middle East, offering a silky Arabian musical pulse through synths and various southern instruments.
While naturally filling the LP with their own acid-tinged style, the Paris-based group effortlessly combine styles of eastern electronics and raï, a genre that coined itself as Algerian folk music in the 1920s. But Jdid is far from anachronistic. Regardless of its inspiration, at some point each track evokes associations with basement club culture, such as on 'Was Was' and 'Club DZ'.
a trip to a colliding world
The record begins boldly with 'Staifia', throwing in a slowly trudging bassline and adding sprinkles of intermittent, oh-so-soothing acid bleeps which eventually unfold confidently. The final track, 'Malek Ya Zahri', doesn't wrap things up with such a chug. Instead, it's synth-armored and accompanied by a celebratory vocal from Cheikha Hadjla.
Overall the record is a hip-shaker and consistent in its sweet but sinister drum beats, yet it's the vocals which add a genuinely special element to this album, like on 'Nassibi' and 'Ejma'. Both tracks feature beautiful voices, which add woozy, culturally rich examples of the power of global music influences.
Acid Arab take us on a trip to a colliding world and are prime facilitators of eastern dance music, rightfully uncovering individual influences from eastern, western and southern shores.
Georgia Smith
