If you cast your mind back a few years ago we presented the last outing on Naissance Musik and the stunning release came courtesy of label head Sary Sehnaoui Aka Hear. As well as the intricacies of the original works it also came complete with a remix from German trio Wareika and this laid the foundations for the sixth edition of Naissance Musik. For this installment there is something rather special on offer and the beginning of a new adventure with HEAR combining with Wareika member Henrik Raabe on the “Silk Road Chronicles (Vol.1)” EP.
This EP is no ordinary studio affair as the pair have had their Quarter Tones project in the works since the last edition of Naissance Musik but the result is well worth the wait. With both sharing an affinity for organic arrangements and live instrumentation something special was needed to bring to life the beautiful music of Beirut. In order to bring this eons old sound up to date the pair enlisted the undoubted talents of famed Oud maker (luthier) Fadi Matta who was able to bring to life an Oud that is able to control the myriad of modular synths that populates their tri-city studio (Beirut, Bingen, and Berlin).
Having put such impressive amounts of love and effort into recording their album, Quarter Tones are now able to present the first tracks of this project and our pick of the release is “Habibi Beirut”. With the original melody being composed in 1933 by the composer Lev Knipper, the esteemed Arabic artist Fairuz and her version became a cult song in the Arab world. With each of the tracks on the album being as much about presenting the historic music as it is about rocking a dancefloor this track fuses the sublime synth work, drum machines and of course the expert Oud playing from Raabe. The undulating bassline and snappy percussion allows the full beauty of the original track to unfold across the extended run time.
Rewinding slightly to the first track and “New Era” is just as awe inspiring as the last, originally created as the Concierto de Aranjuez (1939 and remakes were made by Miles Davis and Fairuz in the 60’s & 70’s) and Quarter Tones have updated it with a modern take. Sweeping synths herald in raw drum hits that are accompanied by more melding of East and West by way of Raabe’s Oud playing. Completing the original works is “Find your Source” and with a deep probing bassline at the heart the playful synth keying and superhuman Oud strumming is easily capable of transporting any dancefloor to the streets of Lebanon.
As well as original works, Quarter Tones have also reimagined two further tracks, “Levant Thyme” by Gérard & Wageek evokes the spirit of Mediteranean and cultural richness based around Beirut since ancient times. Spicing it up with a modern, jazz-infused saxophone improvisation, the Quarter Tones remix picks up these emotions and travels backwards in time with the sound of the Oud. In true QT style they bring this bang up to date with cutting-edge electronic sound design from the modular world.
“Once upon a time in Beirut” by Albert Azar, is digging deep into the musical heritage of Lebanon, combining traditional Middle-eastern melodies. The Quarter Tones remix opens up a world of outer-world synths and Oud sounds on this, add tons of super groovey percussions and finally kills the dancefloor with a bpm progression that varies in a a totally unheard of way.
You can get your hands on the “Silk Road Chronicles (Vol.1)” EP from Quarter Tones via the Naissance Musik Bandcamp page.
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