Artist

Ahlam

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The second of the Moroccan electro-trad bands to have their music distributed by the Barbarity label in Switzerland (<a href="spotify:artist:29eeRZ1DWQUN8BnTqwRslh">Aisha Kandisha's</a> <a href="spotify:artist:29eeRZ1DWQUN8BnTqwRslh">Jarring Effects</a> were the first). By the standards of world music, Ahlam is unusual, employing traditional instruments such as djembe and mandolin, and rai-type vocals, against some electric guitar, bass, and electronic sampling. By the standards of Moroccan music, they're downright radical, not only in their mix'n'match of indigenous music with modern Western rock, dance, and dub, but in their lyrical attitude. The liner notes to their first album, for instance, advocate a "non-violent intifada"; one of the tracks is meant to be a "call for peace between Araba & Jews." That debut record, Revolt Against Reason, was a smorgasbord of Moroccan pop and left-field sound effects and electronics. <a href="spotify:artist:5RISqKCcrhGITX2TQAPGPL">Bill Laswell</a> co-produced the second album, Messages from Arabs, which has a more club-friendly feel (especially in the programming and sampling), but loses some of the unpredictable inspiration of the previous recording. ~ Richie Unterberger, Rovi

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