Blasting Through the Sonic Furnace of the Sky

Today is probably one of the first times that I have featured a fairly new album in its entirety at a great bitrate. The reason that I have chosen to stray from the normal policy is that this fantastic Sublime Frequencies release from Omar Khorshid came out back in May and went out of print within 6 weeks of its actual release date. This is an astonishing feat to say the least, and I feel that it should not fall on deaf ears.

While I wasn't fortunate enough to snag a limited pressing of this record, I was lucky enough to download the complete album from a friend on Soulseek at an astonishingly rare 320k bitrate. For those of you who are familiar with the discography of Sublime Frequencies, you know that the quality of their albums is top-notch and that their releases typically go out-of-print at a rapid rate. Hisham Mayet, along with Alan and Richard Bishop (from the now defunct and legendary experimental band Sun City Girls) started Sublime Frequencies a few years ago to primarily showcase the untapped talents of lesser known musicians from the farthest corners of the globe. While artists such as Group Doueh, Group Bombino Mustapha Majoub and Troupe Majidi are major attractions within their provincial area, they had been unknown outside of these areas until these recordings were released to the masses.

I have been exposed to a few of Omar Khorshid's recordings prior to listening to this, but nothing could have prepared me for the spiritual celebration of enveloping sound that spilled into my ears. Many of these tracks contain Omar's reverb-saturated guitar lines with a more than satisfying backdrop of pounding tribal drums and basslines that resonate through your bones. There are plenty of psychedelic Arabic belly-dancing grooves to keep your body moving as well as some mellow tracks that are perfect for a lazy afternoon in the sun. Overall, this album is a sonic delight that deserves a 2nd pressing so more people can be exposed to it.

Click below for the download.

Try It!