Various Artists – Dabke: Sounds Of The Syrian Houran LP (Sham Palace)
Some might say that this collection of Dabke music from the southern part of Syria is, like those psychedelic Asian rock compilations, a warped representation of the style that simultaneously caters to Western notions of the exotic and serves up sounds not too far from certain things that record collectors already want to hear. I’ll go a step further; this record represents the sick taste of one man, Mark Gergis, and he has my ear. I’m not sure, given what I’ve been told by people of my acquaintance who know Middle Eastern pop culture much better than I do, that I’d enjoy a record that shows dabke (which you most likely know from the recordings of Omar Souleyman) the way its mainstream fans see it, any more than I would want to hear most mainstream rock and roll. Give me the fucked up shit every time. Some of the tunes on this LP, like Abu Sultan’s lovelorn “Your Love Will Make My Head Hurt,” sound like more frantic, banging versions of stuff you could hear in any Middle Eastern restaurant, the kind that makes you look up from your meal. But then there’s a song like Mohamed Al Ali’s “Mili Alay (Sway With Me),” with its vocals that operate like DJ Screw in reverse. They’re so sped up that they sound like a little kid hollered them in over a speakerphone; I can’t imagine they sound any straighter to Syrian ears that they do to mine. At least, I hope not. Limited pressing of 1000; set your priorities accordingly. (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sham-Palace/108672552579925)
(Bill Meyer)
