The Middle East/Islam as a trope in electronic music

CrowleyHead

Well-known member
most of this stuff (as well as classic Orientalism) has zero concern with "that part of the world" as anything other than a fantasy. that's kind of the point.

Still unsure of what even qualifies it for musical discussion when he has minimal input beyond a vaguely Arabic guitar riff. Is sam & the pharaohs a valid point of western orientalism?
 

muser

Well-known member
Someone said to me the otherday Bjork is collaborating with Omar souleyman, havnt actually checked if that's true or not yet.. I was sort of suprised and at the same time not at all
 

zhao

there are no accidents
Someone said to me the otherday Bjork is collaborating with Omar souleyman, havnt actually checked if that's true or not yet.. I was sort of suprised and at the same time not at all

Bjork's early career often had a heavy ethno hippie vibe, largely forgotten by most. like with Kraftwerk.
 
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IdleRich

IdleRich
The comment below "I see you are from Egypt and I want you to know that I personally am very learned in ancient Egypt all I need to learn to read and write hieroglyphic and respect your religion and current egypt today and its problems, this is a work made with much love and admiration to your country" reminded me of this thread. I guess you need to do a lot of research to be aware of obscure Egyptian figures such as Ramses, Cleopatra and and Ra.
 

soloist

Member
Not sure if this has been posted but I'm really digging Indian/Hindi/Bollywood type tunes lately.

Heard this at a museum once and I can't help but to think with some kick drums or something this could really be killing on a dancefloor somewhere.


Also this

 

zhao

there are no accidents
middlebeast2.jpg


https://soundcloud.com/djzhao/middle-beast

tracklist
 
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Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I made this tune the other day and when I listened back to it, I thought "Hang on, I've basically made a Shackleton tune, haven't I?". Right down to the daft, vaguely Orientalist title! Just needs some 'ethnic' vocal samples on top.

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thirdform

pass the sick bucket
most of this stuff is shit.

Shackleton is good though, in the way the drums land in sync with the bassline. also never found 'hamas rule' a particularly objectionable title, who the fuck would endorse hamas by saying hamas rule? not in the fuckin UK, you're more llikely to say hamas are bad or they are dons or they are sick. this ain't some posho american shit. that's slang ffs. and either way as gross as hamas are they are basically just bourgeois ultra-conservatives. whereas white industrialists and rockers get away with far more fascisoid shit. the orientalism is in lumping all reactionaries in the fash box. hamas are reactionaries but they aren't fash.

I used to see shackleton down at the old plastic people, fantastic, really did capture in a UK context those anatolian wedding vibes with the dread bass that obviously is not in the anatolian DNA.

Muslimgauze is boring.
 
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version

Well-known member
The "Arabian Trap" stuff bangs. It might just be made by a bunch of white guys using Eastern scales and stuff though.

 

thirdform

pass the sick bucket
The "Arabian Trap" stuff bangs. It might just be made by a bunch of white guys using Eastern scales and stuff though.


nah there's some sick stuff from egypt zuli probably knows more. really amazing mcs. the arabic language works but turkish mcs sound too posh. I wish I could get more of the new hip hop influenced chabi that mumdance mix is still crazy it's just all of it is in arabic script which my synth can't read.
 
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