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Montreal-based Sam Shalabi leads the Shalabi Effect, a post-rock project
that deals with improvised instrumental psychedelic music, but not only the
droning kind. On the
sprawling double album Shalabi Effect (Alien 8, 2000),
originally slated for release as a collaboration album with
Godspeed You Black Emperor that was supposed
to be entitled Aural Florida,
they employ vintage electronics, ethnic percussions, manipulated instruments,
and found sounds to produce propulsive and trancey scores.
The line-up is a veritable orchestra of ethnic, western and electronic
instruments.
The Trial Of St. Orange (Alien 8, 2002) is less ambitious but also
more focused. Mr Titz and Sundog Ash are masterful essays of
East-West blend, and the 17-minute monolith A Glow in the Dark weds
Third Ear Band, Amon Duul II and Taj Mahal Travellers.
Sam Shalabi's solo work is more politically motivated.
On Hashish (Alien8, nov 2001), mainly centered around the
26-minute Outside Chance, blends field recordings, free improvisation, droning and glitches.
Osama (Alien8, 2003) is a pretentious exercise in folkish-jazzy-exotic progressive-rock, with at least one new classic: Wherewithhall (17 minutes).
The Shalabi Effects' third album, Pink Abyss (Alien8, 2004),
is mostly bland and undistinguished.
It contains one
trip-hop gem, Bright Guilty World (vocals by Elizabeth Anka Vajagic),
one truly atmospheric ballad,
Blue Sunshine (Charles Spearin on trumpet);
and two decent pieces of intellectual muzak,
I Believe in Love and Kinder Surprise.
But the rest is simply second-rate imitation of Shalabi Effects.
Unfortunately (2005) documents live performances.
The Sam Shalabi "solo" album
Eid (Alien8, 2008) blends Arab folk and avantgarde music. In some cases Shalabi
simply states the obvious
(Billy The Kid, in two parts), but elsewhere he indulges in
chameleon-like structures such as the seven-minute Jessica Simpson that
span several different styles in just one piece.
The nine-minute Eid,
the seven-minute Eddie
and the ten-minute Honey Limbo are musical fantasies
that know no borders.
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(Translation by/ Tradotto da Bea Montanari)
Sam Shalabi capeggia a Montreal gli Shalabi Effects. Si tratta di un progetto di post-rock che fa musica strumentale psichedelica, ma non proprio del genere monotono. Sul caotico doppio album Shalabi Effects (Alien 8, 2000), originariamente pensato come una collaborazione con i Godspeed You Black Emperor che doveva portare il titolo di Aural Florida, gli Shalabi fanno ampio uso di elettronica vintage, percussioni etniche e strumenti rimaneggiati, e riescono a trovare dei suoni che producono partiture propulsive e ipnotiche. La formazione è un’autentica orchestra di strumenti etnici, occidentali, e elettronici.
The Trial Of St. Orange (Alien 8, 2002), e` meno ambizioso, ma anche meno dispersivo. Mr Titz e Sundog Ash sono ottimi esempi di unione tra musica occidentale e orientale, e i 17 minuti della monolitica A glow in the Dark combinano insieme Third Ear Band, Amon Duul II e Taj Mahal Travellers.
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