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MH-272 Andre Afram Asmar - Harmonic Emergency  Shortly after Andre Afram Asmar began working on Harmonic Emergency, the follow up to his acclaimed 2003 Mush debut Racetothebottom, he suffered an aneurism that left him with only half of his faculties intact. The completion of the album became the most therapeutic practice Asmar would undertake, and he sought out musicians to help him realize the vision that he feared he might have lost. With an international list of collaborators, including legendary reggae bass player Fully Fullwood, drummers from all over Latin America and the Middle East, and vocalists from Syria and Israel, Asmar collected hours of original source material for Harmonic Emergency. Combining epic arrangements, flowing production, and a master’s touch on the board learned at the feet of some of dub’s greatest mixers, Asmar breathes true urgency into Harmonic Emergency; frequencies clash to uneasy resolutions, genres pile atop each other with astounding effectiveness and live percussion is suddenly overwhelmed by adrenalized electronics. As the third world struggles to make itself heard from outside the halls of power, Harmonic Emergency seeks to project the intensity of that very voice from within. |
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| Reviews Summary |
| Dub reggae messes with sounds through addition, subtraction, distortion, and sudden shifts - iTunes / Harmonic Emergency was primarily a dub-rooted project with sound fragments looped and echoed into oblivion - Prefix / AAA may well be on a road leading through dance clubs - Rap Talk / Far to much to savor with just one dose - Aiding & Abetting / This is an album that is made from love of life and all it has to offer - Scratched Vinyl |
| Reviews | |
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| Back in 2003 and 2004, Palestinian-American dub musician Andre Afram Asmar made waves for his unorthodox blend of hip hop, reggae, and Middle Eastern music. His debut for Mush Records and his subsequent full-length collaboration with MC Circus garnered critical acclaim, and Asmar made other notable associations, including work with rappers Busdriver and AWOL One and reggae singer Majek Fashek. But as he was preparing for a big tour in late 2004, Asmar suffered a serious brain aneurysm, and his recovery since that time has been a slow and arduous process. As a result of the aneurysm, Asmar lost ability in the left side of his body and lost vision in his left eye. But he remained undeterred in his musical journey, and he has since had some help to complete Harmonic Emergency, the follow-up to Racetothebottom. Originally begun being tracked in 2001, Harmonic Emergency is a strange and trippy dub creation, with sung, half-sung, and spoken-word vocals bouncing off rubbery thuds and beats. Electronics and breakbeats get things moving, and plenty of Middle Eastern melodies and timbres maintain that “world fusion” vibe. - Alarm Press |
