Syrinjia [Bonus Disc]

This late-period Muslimgauze release is a showcase for Bryn Jones' fascination with dub. Slow rhythms, spacious production, and a minimum of harsh noise make Syrinjia one of the more accessible Muslimgauze records, and the echo, delay, and flanging effects throughout "Sitaram Sharma" and "Amira Kadal Srinagar" suggest Jones learned well from the Jamaican masters. The beats in tracks like "Holy Man" and "Moon Guitar" even have a bit of a hip-hop flavor, further upping the listenability quotient for Muslimgauze newcomers. Unfortunately, this being a limited edition (only 950 copies were pressed, on LP only), it seems likely that Syrinjia is heard primarily by the small cult of Muslimgauze obsessives. The lucky few will find Jones in ambient mode on "Walroo Dalak," maneuvering static, clicks, and ancient electronic bleeps around the space to spooky effect. Tracks like "Rashid Jag Deep" and "Detrimental" show that Jones was a wizard at transforming a small number of sounds (a tough drum loop, fuzzed-out bassline, and a sample or two is usually all he needs) into music with heavy impact. The sheer force behind these grooves, even though they tend to be of the blunted, head-nodding variety, is astounding. It seems a fitting tribute to Jones' memory to play them loud. ~ Mark Richardson