North Africa in Dub

MAGHREBIKA WITH BILL LASWELL
Neftakhi (Barbarity)

Some musical marriages are so exemplary that the term “destiny” seems pointless. Having well proved himself in a number of sonic modalities – most notably dub reggae and classical Indian – bass player/producer Bill Laswell was meant for North Africa. And when coming into contact with a group of talented Algerian and Moroccan upstarters, young men and women that swirl between more traditional shaabi and raï sounds to deep, dubby electronica and hip-hop, the results are, well – Maghrebika.

Inspired by the fierce work he performed on vocalist Azzddine’s genre-defying Masafat, the duo that defines Maghrebika (Abdelkader Belkacem and Abdelaziz Lamari) sought Laswell’s help. Being label mates with Azzddine (as well as musical counterparts) helped, and while many of the same techniques were applied, Neftakhi trumps Masafat due to its diverse stylistic ranges and rhythmic applications. Whether swinging low in a Massive Attack headnod to trip-hop or adding a slice of Rachid Taha streetfight rocking raï, every one of these 14 tracks displays amazing integrity.

Read the full review on ethnotechno.com.