Daqa'iq Tudaiq

Third LP of the Montreal-based audiovisual duo: Radwan Ghazi Moumneh, a producer and musician from Lebanon, and Charles-André Coderre, a filmmaker. Includes voice, electronics, buzuk, and other plucked and percussive Middle Eastern instruments (riq, santur, derbakeh, kanun). The first four tracks form a suite, while the last four tracks stand on their own. Great record, the usual high quality from Constellation Records.

Favorites: 1, 3, 5, 7
No FCCs (all words in Arabic)

1. (6:44) ** Wa Ta’atalat Loughat Al Kalam (Part 1) — 1.5-minute soft ambient intro, then main song. Percussion, various string instrument layers, rich sorrowful voice in Arabic. One of my favorite tracks of the year
2. (6:00) Wa Ta’atalat Loughat Al Kalam (Part 2) — similar to above, but faster, more urgent
3. (4:51) * Wa Ta’atalat Loughat Al Kalam (Part 3) — Atmospheric sort of ominous, no voice. Really beautiful, I am sure this w/ the live projection would be a transforming experience
4. (2:23) Wa Ta’atalat Loughat Al Kalam (Part 4) — Voice returns, this time with some electronic processing. Fast tempo, full sound
5. (5:03) ** Bein Ithnein — Strummed instrumental and watery synth motif, hissing noise, dancey percussive textures
6. (3:59) Thahab, Mish Joujou’, Thahab — Slowed down electronically processed voice
7. (6:18) ** Layali Al-Rast — Thick textured strumming, majestic. Minimal percussion kicks in at end
8. (2:09) Kol El ‘Alaam O’youn — Spacious voice, drone, string textures