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Badawi

Jerusalem Under Fire

ROIR

This month, I decided to conduct a battle royale amongst my dub and ambient releases. First, I would calibrate the car stereo to optimum volume with the Beatles' "Tomorrow Never Knows." This is quite loud, though the specs on the stereo are quite dismal -- it's a factory Volvo speaker system.

After calibration, I would drive to work listening to one of these CDs, with the windows open. Only one CD survived the road noise enough to warrant recognition: Badawi's Jerusalem Under Fire. Though the drum samples used are often low-rent, Badawi manages to overwhelm them enough with the intensity of the moment and the occasional violin or tablas. Heavily rhythmic, most pieces on this collection have a decidedly Middle Eastern bent, despite the dub-like approach. In fact, the two work well together: unhinging Western ideals of melody while shaking you loose with a bass-heavy beat is an interesting time. This is completely electrifying and well worth hearing. ROIR, 611 Broadway, Suite 411, New York, NY 10012

--Carl Glaser