Morocco's Low End

AZZDDINE
Massafat (Barbarity)

Given the bass-heavy nature of Gnawa music – often no more than guembri (three-string bass lute), krakebs (metal clappers), chanting and maybe percussion, such as the bendir or tabl – it’s a wonder more low-end hasn’t appeared on modern recordings. Replace the guembri with Bill Laswell’s penetrating bass lines and a solution instantly presents itself.

Such is the case on Azzddine Ouhnine’s latest recording. The vocalist does triple time, also jumping on oud and darbouka for this 63-minute dubbed-out sojourn. The range of influence on these 14 tracks is tremendously expansive: hip-hop, reggae, trip-hop and other digital modalities, as well as traditional Moroccan music. It is a heavily synthesized effort with only spare classical instrumentation, although a very ancient feel reveals itself. Most of this is due to Ouhnine’s able virtuosity on oud; if you thought Hamza El Din jamming with the Kronos Quartet was innovative, we’ve entered a whole other realm here. Background vocal assistance by Noura and Naima add a pleasant feminine undertone, while Boualem’s rap on “Britou” lends an urban edge.

Massafat , however, belongs to Laswell. Ouhnine is obviously front and center, but it’s the production work that takes this from solid to exceptional. Recorded in Africa and New Jersey and glued together in Basel, Switzerland, the heavy, heady bass tones pulse with constant determination. While Laswell has worked on the Moroccan soundscape before (The Master Musicians of Jajouka and Ahlam), Massafat is new territory. It does borrow the trad feel of the Jajouka project (sans mizmar), and adds a smoother rock edge than the Ahlam disc purported. Fuzzy, driven guitars appear all over, as on the rather hyperreal “Ana Ou Enta,” but never loses itself in the thick walls that genre can exhibit. Even in the midst of seeming chaos, subtlety prevails.

There are no standout cuts here. The string-heavy “Fine” and oud-laden “Al Mouktab” are high choices, while the house-based track, “Goa Rozali,” is the most unique (and obviously danceable) included. As a mood setter, it rivals the strength of Laswell’s best, a la Ethiopian jazz throwback Abyssinia Infinite’s Zion Roots and the surreal Bob Marley reconstruction record, Dreams of Freedom. Alongside recent work on Cheb i Sabbah’s Algerian/Moroccan digitalist La Kahena, Laswell is taking Marrakech to whole new levels. As for Azzddine Ouhnine, he couldn’t have picked a better introduction to the world outside North Africa, one we only hope he continues to explore.