Al Wa’ Debt

Va Fan Fahreareanother instance of the north-west European love affair with all sounds Balkan. But the 11-strong brass band have taken their sound an exotic step further on their third album – into the Arab world. Moroccan singer Aicha Haskal featured on Va Fan Fahre’s previous album, and this appears to have planted the seed of the current project. Her vocals are by turns ululating and breathy, using razor-edged rap and coolly spoken word. ‘Lahzet Zekrayat’ is a striking urban track with Haskal’s rapping to the fore while the opener, ‘Monopoly Inc. Disclosure’, finds her in classic Arabic vocal flight.

With two trumpets, a clarinet, tenor and baritone sax and a bass tuba, certain tracks become very brass heavy – perhaps a little too much if you’re expecting a more Arabic sound, which is what the evocative sleeve artwork of Arab scenes leads you to believe. In addition to Haskal’s voice, there is also darbuka and riqq percussion and krakesh (Moroccan castanets), but these have only a limited impact on the overall sound.

Al Wa’ Debt conjures a weird 21st century aural reimagining of the far-flung corners of the Ottoman Empire. Get this if you like your musical cultures just slightly melted – and particularly if you like Balkan brass – but be careful if you think you’re getting a trip to the Arab world.