Omar Souleyman: Highway to Hassake: Folk & Pop Sounds of Syria

Label: Sublime Frequencies

The subtitle is “folk and pop sounds of Syria,” which sounds pretty modest, but Souleyman is a superstar in his native country; also, this stuff doesn’t sound like folk or pop. More like double-espresso-powered electro that can’t forget traditional dance rhythms and scales but utterly transforms them. The tinny sound and tape squeals (this stuff is dubbed from 12 years’ worth of cassette releases) somehow fit the overall sound, which is such that it’s hard to tell whether some of the music comes from synthesizers or electronically treated traditional instruments. At one point it sounds like Souleyman shouts “Dervish! Dervish! Dervish” over one of the frenetically swirling solos, and most of this is definitely music to inspire wild whirling. For variety, there are a few much slower tracks, such as “Atabat,” with its lengthy oud solo accompanied by organ. Fast or slow, it’s powerful stuff. (Steve)