Muslimgauze

[Bloated Slutbag]

Still I had to laugh reading this

Uzi is pretty mediocre to my ears also, and agreed, the drum machine is what ruins it.  It has 4 decent tracks

Four whole decent tracks on a single Muslimgauze album is pretty much automatic contender for indefinite replay value in my book. This may also overlap with what SILVUM said about individual tracks often beating out whole albums. I generally take a traditional albums sort of listening approach but if ever there were a project that should challenge that approach...

[Zeno Marx]

S and BS got you better than I think I could.  I'd recommend pretty much anything '87-'94, but I'm mostly a half-full listener with him.  I like everything prior to '87, and a little after '94, but it gets more iffy for the casual or curious listener once you exit that sweet spot.

[Zeno Marx]

I'd have to give this some more thought, but I consider Zul'm to be one of the more cohesive albums.  It sounds like an actual album with a concept and direction; starts one place and arrives at a destination.  Maybe that's why I really think it stands out and surprises me that it doesn't make it on more lists.  I also think the tracks are really good, but it speaks to me in a traditional music way, as an album listener over a track listener.  Not even the early records strike me like this to any great degree, which also might be why it doesn't bother me as much as it usually does that the Coup D'Etat / Abu Nidal CD isn't a complete reissue.  They edited those 12"s down in a smart way, trimming the fat and giving the CD a cohesive feel.

Along with the rest of our conversation about throwing ideas, edits, and demos at a wall, not paying much attention to what sticks and what does not, and putting them together as albums anyway, you get general favorites, like the original Drug Sherpa 3"CD, that skirt all this mess and necessary devotion.

*maybe Extreme gave him some direction, whereas others did not.  I mean beyond looking for a specific style.

[Into_The_Void]

Also, as a note, even though a huge amount of his work is rhythmic and has beats and is percussion based, I view Muslimgauze as atmospheric political INDUSTRIAL music (see GRIM vs Vasilisk, the world of Martial music), NOT "ethnic" beat music or "world music", which is how I think it's heard and categorized.  This is reliant on what I percieve as his original intention - in creating atmosphere - attempting a shattered document political space approach vs making "dance tracks" - a fascinating window into a time and a level of availability of info on sections of the world.  Obviously there are still "beats" and you could dance, but you can like dance to Skinny Puppy etc, and it's not "dance" music as its primary intent.  Just a vague observation, mainly because as someone who listens to lots of dance music, the beats are not that great for dancing in Muslimgauze, you can tell if someone understands the flow of rhythms for body movement, lots of modern "dance" or rhythmic electronic music is clearly made by people who have drum machines (or really you all have those programs that even when they match up your beats you get it wrong) but don't understand dancing, and that disconnect is there.

Had to edit this cus it didn;t make much sense, and I'm not sure how clear the point is now, might edit later hah.

Yes I totally agree, Muslimgauze had a lot of positive feedback in the "danceable music" closest to the industrial scene (like EBM for example) - maybe because of more "groovy" releases like Mullah Said - although I think (and it´s in my opinion pretty evident) he never had the intention to let people dance, rather to put some rhythmic elements in his music. And yes, it´s industrial music at his finest! I don´t own any Muslimgauze album so far but I´m planning to buy the first works, which I like a lot (especially "Buddhist on fire"), and "Mullah Said" if I find a copy for decent prices. I would be very curious to know how he worked on his samples during mixes and manipulation, love the weird "collage" way they sound.

[Bloated Slutbag]

Had to edit this cus it didn;t make much sense, and I'm not sure how clear the point is now, might edit later hah.

Oh goddamnit, I liked the original a lot. Now I'm mad. Gotta remember to c-p the next S throwdown to that select file, heh.

[Zeno Marx]

Not to swerve this great thread, but Silvum's post stuck.  Thinking about industrial vs world music or ethno-X and why Muslimgauze is such.  Wandered to the likes of potentially related with Jorge Reyes, Tuu, Esplendor Geometrico, and traditional Arabic and Indian music.  Not so much the latter, but how can you not a little?  Political or traditional sounds and instruments or electronics...  Muslimgauze should have his own section in stores and personal music collections.  Unto himself, but then I was thinking of albums like Sheikh Aljama.  I've never gotten obsessed with Esplendor Geometrico, but I've tried many times.  Sheikh Aljama is my favorite EG, but I don't think I've ever went from Muslimgauze to that album or vice versa.  Why?  Could we guess that EG was listening to Muslimgauze, but not that Bryn was listening to EG?  They had to be familiar with each other, but did one influence the other more?

from EG's bandcamp:

SHEIKH ALJAMA, originally published only in CD by Daft Records (Belgium 1991). Recorded between 1987 and 1989 and remastered in 2014 (this version) from the original reel to reel tapes. An especially interesting period where the unique and characteristic rhytmic-industrial E.G. style, developed along the eighties, turns more minimalistic, schematic, cold and rough, with sporadic influences of arabic musics and rhythms.

SHEIKH ALJAMA is a Esplendor Geométrico classic and one of the best albums of their whole career, including their hit Sinaya. Sheikh Aljama stands out for the incorporation of sonorities, voices and percusions of arabic influence, due in great measure to Gabriel Riaza, who a few years later would leave E.G. and convert to Islam.

[accidental]

Uzi is pretty mediocre to my ears also, and agreed, the drum machine is what ruins it.  It has 4 decent tracks where the elements work for the goal of like, tension cinematics.  If it was just a 7" of these more atmospheric tracks it would be cool.

Shroud Of Khoumeni Pt. 1
For Abu Jihad Pt. 2
La Palestina Pt. 2
Obeid Pt. 1

U.S.O.I. does have basic 4/4, all the Extreme stuff feels like the dude was trying to get dancier stuff from Bryn.  I only like the Pt.1 and Pt. 2 of the title track, the rest I don't need.  Shoulda been a 12" of those tracks only.  Good sense of depth / element balance, if you're into Basic Channel or pulsing stuff like I am.

There are a few other sides of his work than are represented in those 3 albums, yes.  Roll the dice.

I think Sandtrafikar is great, see if you like that, if it doesn't click, I would stop wasting time.   It's beat focused on the title tracks, basically an extension stylistically of the two good tracks on USOI, so you prob wont like those.  Lots of human voice samples.  The Baku Oil Field tracks are a gritty version of Gun Aramaic style cinematic momentum collage atmosphere stuff, really love these, and one has fast pulsing beats.  And a few of the interlude tracks are great, just sample loops.

I couldnt get much from a single track on it. Long time since i played Kabul but i thought that was less bad. The drums was not as bad on it i seem to remember. I've concluded 80's Muslimgauze is not for me. As you said, Sandtrafikar will be the last chance. I listened to 30 secs of Sandtrafikar you youtube before i bought it. Just to avoid getting another weapon. And i liked what i heard.

[Bloated Slutbag]

As far as industrial, I'm essentially repeating myself from page 3 of this topic in suggesting that the earlier Muslimgauze is somewhat less distinctly of its own category to that point. Look to SPK Zamia Lehmanni. And a good chunk of Zoviet France straight up to appearance of Rapoon, and then to early Rapoon and maybe some DVOA. I'd put down some of the (80s) overlap to the technology of the time. And that there are quite a number of others along similar lines...Cranioclast...whom I'd tend to associate with the anything goes experimental/industrial/academic/whatever 80s college radio (since that's mostly how I heard it all).

@accidental, I'm not going to waste your time in trying to sell the early stuff, but I'm rather partial to Flajelata which for me is a pretty solid "cinematic" listen from the second track on through.
edit
-> dedication on the flip-side "to all dissidents from the Soviet Union"

[Zeno Marx]

Yes I totally agree, Muslimgauze had a lot of positive feedback in the "danceable music" closest to the industrial scene (like EBM for example) - maybe because of more "groovy" releases like Mullah Said - although I think (and it´s in my opinion pretty evident) he never had the intention to let people dance, rather to put some rhythmic elements in his music. And yes, it´s industrial music at his finest! I don´t own any Muslimgauze album so far but I´m planning to buy the first works, which I like a lot (especially "Buddhist on fire"), and "Mullah Said" if I find a copy for decent prices. I would be very curious to know how he worked on his samples during mixes and manipulation, love the weird "collage" way they sound.

I listened to Mullah Said the other day, and I've been thinking about it ever since.  The title track is up there with "Khan Younis" (Hamas Arc album version) in favorite songs from him, and I purposely call them songs.  They're catchy.  They feel like they're layered and mixed like traditional songs are.  The album has a groove and a heightened accessibility.  It flies against Silvum's industrial categorization, which is why I think it stands out for me, especially with his latter work.

[Zeno Marx]

One direction that I'm the verge of getting (but not quite) is that of the looping brevity, the pure rhythm studies; Blue Mosque being a notable example.

At times, like lately, I find Blue Mosque maybe the most meditative of all his work.  It truly is a rhythmic study.  For those who are drawn to industrial field recordings for their repetitive, reflective atmosphere, this might be an album for you.

[Into_The_Void]

I found a copy of Madrass Sitar Burning in a local store and I agree with Silvum, there´s a strong "intellectual" intent below almost all the Muslimgauze releases, in the sense of making "uncomfortable" music also when it comes only to loop ethnic music patterns. He has simply thrown all his political and musical obsessions into the project with the precise intent of letting the people think about the message and probably go deeper in the topic. Which probably partially also explains the extremely high amount of releases he released over the years.

[Zeno Marx]

https://forums.hipinion.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=125474

Some good excepts from the book there.  Can't believe it hasn't been published by itself and in a sizeable amount.  It's probably something you could keep in print for a long time and with steady sales.

[Vitrufen]

I love Muslimgauze, but can only trudge through his discography in sporadic bursts. The lack of quality control combined with the usual self-remixing within his massive output exhausts me sometimes but man, when I'm in the mood for some digging at least I know I'll be blown away one way or another.

I'm pretty sure I heard Gun Aramaic (either part 1 or 2) before anything else of Bryn's, and was probably obsessing over Aphex Twin's SAW 2 at the time anyway, so the kinda harsher textures laid over the ambience and hypnotic rhythms sounded absolutely lush to my ears. I remember being initially exposed to his works from 1993-1996, this time period for Muslimgauze releases still holds my favorites of his. I didn't really care for any of his output on Extreme. Still need to do some intensive listening to his releases post-'96.

I always got a sense of underlying eeriness from his music, even in his rhythm-heavy "danceable" tracks, whether slick or rough around the edges. Maybe this was partly due to aesthetic/themes-whatever, I just think his sonic output screams industrial attitude. Then again when I first heard Muslimgauze I didn't really have much of a reference point for industrial music. Just wanted to hear any weird "ambient-electronic/field recording" stuff I could find.
As for his works 1993-1996, love the off-kilter mixing paired with good production that you can't really place your finger on. Love his rhythmic loops (whether abrasive or laid back), sometimes spastic sampling (Bryn denied any sampler usage in interviews, heh...), effects usage, great melodic taste...overall I think if you're texture-obsessed then Muslimgauze music is great to dive into. The variance is there, it just takes some time to sift through a lot of filler imo.

My favorites from the 'gauze CDs I own:

Veiled Sisters (1993)
Blue Mosque (1994)
Zealot (1994) (anybody else love this release as much as I do?)
Izlamaphobia (1995)
Silknoose (1995)
Return of Black September (1996)
Gun Aramaic 1 & 2 (1996)

I'm glad to see a Muslimgauze topic on here.

[ZT]

As many others have already put forward, Abu Nidal/Coup d'Etat is the one that has stuck with me.
Never really dug through the whole discography because of the sheer amount and fluctuating quality.

Funny that :Zoviet*France: was mentioned earlier. I discovered both of them close to each other so sometimes I confuse the two when trying to find a song in my head.

Glad to pick up the tip about "Arab and Dog Curfew Tel Aviv". Good song. Many good tips in this thread, should do a deeper dive with this a reference.

[Eigen Bast]

My friend turned me onto El Mahdy Jr last week, great stuff, newer material very much in the vein of the more "cinematic" and collage based Muslimgauze material by a young Algerian dude. https://discrepant.bandcamp.com/album/ghost-tapes