Attica Blues: RFI

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What do they sound like, and how much of an Arabic tinge is there is in their music, and does anyone think I'd like them?

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 13 May 2003 22:40 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think I've ever really like any trip-hop.

― Rockist Scientist, Tuesday, 13 May 2003 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I don't think I've ever really like any trip-hop.

Avoid them at all costs, then. They're ok - especially the album with the paint pot on the cover - but nothing especially revelatory. Stringy trip-hoppy soundtracky atmospherizzzzzzzzzzz etc.

― CharlieNo4 (Charlie), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 02:46 (twenty-two years ago)

whoops that's not true. as far as revelatory goes, look for the attica blues remixes, particularly the antipop consortium and deflon sallahr remixes.

as far as arabic influence goes = almost none that i can perceive, though i'm not an arab. i do have an itch to write a piece on mowax as the kraut-motorik wing of hiphop, and the loops in the attica blues do have an endless endless quality to them, but that's not necessarily exclusive to attica blues among mowax artists or middle eastern music. on the topic, though, check out william burrough's writings on arabic music in interzone and the appendix to naked lunch for some fascinating thoughts on motorik (some 10-20 years before the fact).

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 02:56 (twenty-two years ago)

i thought you meant the archie shepp album. *skulks back to cave*

― Dave M. (rotten03), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 02:57 (twenty-two years ago)

even the biggest mowax hataz would have to admit these guys are superior to that disaster.

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 03:02 (twenty-two years ago)

are you insane vahid? i'm no hata, but why on earth did these nice cozy souly tip hop headz name themselves after that shepp lp? it aint perfect (see marcello) but fkenhell that title track is vicious.

― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 08:33 (twenty-two years ago)

or what would you think if oasis were named metal machine music?

― gaz (gaz), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 08:35 (twenty-two years ago)

they're really damned good and the make killer music and do fabulous remixes as individually now... don't know where the idea of arabic influences came from, there isn't any at all

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 10:14 (twenty-two years ago)

or perhaps written in english... they're really damned good and they make killer music and do fabulous remixes as individuals now... don't know where the idea of arabic influences came from, there aren't any at all

― Dave Stelfox (Dave Stelfox), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 10:50 (twenty-two years ago)

'blueprint' is a good tune.

theres another one thats called 'medieval' ro something thats ok, with some basoons or clarinets on. they werent brilliant. i saw them supporting morcheeba in 96, and at that time i thought that they were utterly amazing, but in retrospect my judgement may have been dodgy

― ambrose (ambrose), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 12:10 (twenty-two years ago)

i've been listening to their s/t album again last night and this morning. they're certainly not cozy or soundtracky or stringy in the sense that massive attack or mono are. most of their songs are built around snatches of soul-funk piano and woodwinds (so there's a bit of a nasally arab drone in some tracks too). the vocalist is given over to the odd impassioned outburst amid her sade-isms.

that's prolly why they named themselves after the shepp album - because their music is very similar in intent and execution.

― vahid (vahid), Wednesday, 14 May 2003 16:39 (twenty-two years ago)

One of the members thanks Oum Kalthoum in the liner notes of one CD, apparently, and I gather she has some middle eastern heritage. I was just hoping this would be evident in their sound.

Maybe I'll just by Attica by Frederic Rzewski.

― Rockist Scientist, Wednesday, 14 May 2003 17:57 (twenty-two years ago)

seventeen years pass...

Revive after 18 years: Roba, the vocalist from Attica Blues, has released a solo album "Golden Seams" under the name MidnightRoba and it's very good. There is some middle eastern evidence (as mentioned above) - she's of Egyptian heritage - also jazz, electronica, hints of Kate Bush, Beth Gibbons. Can recommend.

― mahb, Thursday, 4 March 2021 18:11 (five years ago)

What u want, esp the remixes, was brilliant.

― candyman, Thursday, 4 March 2021 19:34 (five years ago)

Second album had terrific production. Total switch from their first one.

― candyman, Thursday, 4 March 2021 19:35 (five years ago)

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