Kaf Afrit by Praed

 

Released almost 2 years ago but sounding still fresh as ever the latest album by Praed is a bubbling colourful rainbow of moods, climaxes and cinematic themes.

Both Paed and Raed are making great job in transgressing their known world of Lebanese and Arabic ethnic dance music - Shaabi and free jazz and other influences. Since Praed is not a steady project and has had its own branches such as Praed Plus and Praed Orchestra - it has defused the whole tension that you might feel with being overwhelmed by the amount of colour and musicians that they have worked with - such as Nadah el Shazly, Maurice Louca, Hans Koch, Martin Küchen, Christine Kazairan, Ute Wassermann, Alan Bishop, Radwan Moumneh, Sam Shalabi, Michael Zerang and Khaled Yassine. 

Kaf Arit is ''just'' four tracks - but what a nice selection.

Dijn Dance has all the elements that Shabbi should have - tingling beats of darabouka, electronic textures and groovy bass with Paed's clarinet on the top of it. But something is a bit different here. The mood is somewhat deepened by the fact that textures that are not your usual type - it has more to do with a funeral procession and has this pomposity that Middle Eastern music has more in terms of some poetic yearning. 

It's not that different in the next track - El Hawi - but here the dynamics is more hyped and the tempo speeds up a bit more. Still with a trademark colours of regal keyboard themes and finesse of clarinet. 

The Spell - next track feels like post-punk and new wave taken out of their context and put into the jittery grooveomatics of Arabic music. And with this track - something else comes to mind: Obviously this is not your usual cup of tea when you think of ethnic music. Instead Raed and Paed who are like twins of different mothers, take the whole genre and quote it, elevating it to the point of a not-so-easy listening ritual. It is still the groove, that you could probably dance to but foremostly, it would stop you in the middle of doing it by its somewhat noble mood and just the depth of it.

Kaf Afrit is no different - it's like a coda to the whole album. What's more - another reflection is the timeline of the whole album and the length of the individual tracks that is far from the usual length of pop songs.

A truly ''arabesque'' album, full of meaning, colour and talent of both gentleman.

 

Praed is

* Raed Yassin: Synthesizers, Vocals, Electronics, Samples

* Paed Conca: Clarinet, Electric bass, Electronics, Samples

Additional musicians:

* Hans Koch: Bass Clarinet, Soprano and Tenor Saxophones

* Amr Said: Additional Keyboards

* Khalid il Soghayyar : Percussion

Credits:

* Composed, produced, arranged and performed by Praed

* Recorded and edited by Praed in Berlin, Beirut & Biel

* Additional recording by Fadi Tabbal at Tunefork Studio Beirut

* Mixed by Adham Zidan

* Mastering by Heba Kadry, NYC

* Artwork by Raphaelle Macaron

* Design by Melek Zertal

* With the kind support of SüdKulturFonds, Migros-Kulturprozent, SWISS-LOK/Kultur canton of Bern and town of Bern

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