Dissidenten - Life At The Pyramids '1985

Tracks list

       The third album from the German worldbeat trio Dissidenten, Life at the
Pyramids stems from a period of time spent in North Africa (but was recorded
largely across the Straits of Gibraltar in Spain). The lyrics are performed
largely in Arabic, though, as usual, there are variations. Despite the obvious
emphasis on Middle Eastern and North African formats, there are strong ties to
much of the Sub Saharan African styles, especially soukous (which lends itself
well to basic worldbeat equations quite often). The keyboard riffs of rai are
present here and there (most notably in "Telephone Arab"), as are the more
common guitar and keyboard riffs, and hooks of basic Arabic pop. This reliance
on Arabic pop suits the band well throughout, supplementing the core trio's
compositions with a large load of guest artists lending a hand toward the
finished product. A layering of neys gives the relatively short "Blue Nile" a
mystic quality, and the ginbri sets a soft but deep foundation for the title
track. The borrowed instruments aren't used in their usual manners here, but the
tonal qualities of the various items lend the music an exotic feeling that
couldn't be achieved with the traditional guitar and keyboard lineups. For
progressive directions in Arabic music, one could easily find the more authentic
items from Rachid Taha and Amr Diab (among others), but the carefree synthesis
of styles used here is almost tantalizing. The listener can enjoy the music,
conscious of its limitations in authenticity, but still enjoy its broken
boundaries in experimentation (especially given its production prior to the
worldbeat phenomenon). As an added treat, mbira mistress Stella Chiweshe joins
in on "Song for Winnie Mandela" with her amazing abilities.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Dissidenten - Sultan Swing (5:59)
1.02 - Dissidenten - Mata Hari (5:52)
1.03 - Dissidenten - Telephone Arab (5:33)
1.04 - Dissidenten - Blue Nile (2:01)
1.05 - Dissidenten - At The Pyramids (4:38)
1.06 - Dissidenten - Berlin Beduins (6:26)
1.07 - Dissidenten - Roots Of Tanger (3:23)
1.08 - Dissidenten - Do The Pharao (6:16)
1.09 - Dissidenten - Allal (5:18)
1.10 - Dissidenten - Mata Hari (Single Mix) (3:40) 

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