Crack

If you’re not a devoted follower of Sublime Frequencies, or a regular visitor to Syria, you’re probably not accustomed to the hypnotic sounds of Omar Souleyman.

Making an appearance in Bristol, the first city he first played outside of Asia, Souleyman takes you through a journey of Syrian pop-folk sensationalism. Sometimes described as Jihadi techno, he delivers his second performance in less than a year at Metropolis.

He stands, barely moving, delivering his vocals over aggressive, frenetic electronic synthesised bouzouk and wild keyboard melodies. The hypnotic nature of the sound sends the crowd into a kind of trance. The Metropolis came alive when Omar’s classical Arabic mawal-style vocals gave way to high-octane Syrian Dabke (the regional folkloric dance and party music), Iraqi Choubi and a host of Arabic, Kurdish and Turkish styles.

Dressed in typical Syrian attire, wearing a red and white hatta and black sunglasses, this amalgamation is truly the sound of Syria. I consider myself somewhat conditioned to the sounds of fast beats, but this was like being transported into Syrian Berghain. I felt my brain was going to explode from the intensity of his music.

The crowd responded by dancing erratically. It’s hard to dance consistently when the rhythm is so broken. Souleyman’s music is completely unique and is anchored in lo-fi, techno-infused, rhythmic vocal mastery. If there is a more surprising convergence of cultures on any other bill I’d like to see it, with Congolese natives - Konono No.1, the second act to grace the stage tonight.

There was something very professional about their stage presence, even against the backdrop of their DIY equipment which consisted of two large bullhorn speakers which emit their distinctive, out-there organic beats, which propel the band to the edge of electronic avant-garde. They have a prestigious catalogue of performances from WOMAD to ATP, but Konono No.1 haven’t let this rise to mainstream focus jeopardise their original sound.

Performing to promote the release of their new album - Assume Crash Position, they were back with their brand of raw percussion juxtaposed with chanting vocals. These lengthy pieces echoed traditional trance songs, driven on by improvisation, rapid-fire riffs and hypnotic solo work from Augustin, son of the founder member of the band.

There are six members in the current line-up, although only one drummer tonight, two members providing the driving, insistent percussion and the other three holding likembe thumb pianos (ancient African instruments constructed from a wooden box and metal tongues that are massively amplified).

The group's full name is L'Orchestre Folklorique T.P. Konono No. 1 de Mingiedi, T.P. being translated as ‘all powerful’. They certainly deliver a mesmerising performance. This decade old act have certainly have come along way from their small village in Congo.



Words: Becka Maskell

Tune: Lah Jani (Souleyman)

Tune: Mama Na Bana (Konono N.o 1)

h[ttp://www.myspace.com/omarsouleyman]

http://www.myspace.com/konononr1


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