I’ve always wanted to dive deep into these
Sublime Frequencies compilations, but never had the time or money to go balls deep. Come Spring Break ‘07… with a whole lotta extra time on my hands (and it feels great!), I’ve finally had enough time to immerse myself with the work of this great label.
Radio Palestine: Sounds of the Eastern Mediterranean (Sublime Frequencies, 2004)
Of all of the stuff that I’ve heard this past week, there have been two releases which have really grabbed a hold of my attention: the latest album from the label,
Group Doueh’s
Guitar Music from the Western Sahara (read
Scott Soriano’s review of it
here), and this compilation Radio Palestine. For the most part the Sublime Frequencies stuff can be split between compilations with whole songs and “radio” albums, which simulate the experience of channel surfing in some exotic and often dangerous locale. If you couldn’t already tell by the name, Radio Palestine is one of those “radio” albums, but is arguably the best of the bunch. While songs are not presented in their entirety, it’s an undeniably powerful moment when flashes of radio color give way to a challenging groove or soaring psychedelic timelessness. There is a sense of adventure here that is damn-near-impossible to duplicate, because it is real, it is happening- interspersed with fragments of news radio, which acts as a reminder of the turmoil which lies beneath the music. I can’t help but to think that this label is incredibly successful in the way that they establish a way to ground the listener into a real sense of “place” from which they can begin to take on such foreign sounds. If you haven’t already invest some time into this label, I’ve given you two of the best places to start your journey.
