ROIR's
2nd release from Raz Mesinai (a/k/a Badawi, a/k/a Bedouin) who is also
one half of the Instinct and Asphodel band, Sub Dub. An Israeli born in
Palestine, Raz is a master percussionist in the Middle Eastern tradition
and a leading influence on the NYC "illbient" school of underground trip
hop dubbers, along with DJ Spooky, WordSound I Powa, DJ Olive, Loop Lucy
and Soulslinger.
"It
is apparent just how integral Badawi is to New York's illbient scene -
swinging the dub pendulum from dark and disturbing to tongue-in-cheek
zaniness. He teases and mystifies us in the same spirit of Lee 'Scratch'
Perry." - Urb
"A
high-powered blend of Middle Eastern and Jamaican music (dub)." -New
York Post
"Raz
Mesinai is a crucial member of New York's so-called illbient underground. This deep dub excursion is probably the most musical
outing yet from anyone associated with that scene - intoxicating and combustible." Option
"JERUSALEM
UNDER FIRE" is a very strong sophomore release reflecting Badawi's consistent
playing out (especially at the Cooler in NYC, where he is virtually in
residence). A strong contender for the New Mad Professor?
"(Badawi)
is a man of many names, talents and sources of inspiration. Jerusalem
Under Fire...combines traditional Middle Eastern rhythms and music with
deep Jamaican dub to create an album as eclectic as the man himself. Although
Badawi proves his ability as a producer, it's his percussion on such tracks
as 'Alien Encounter' (where he plays tambourine) and 'Bedouin Interlude'
(where he plays bendir and other drums) that shows him to be a musical
master and force to be reckoned with." - Rhythm Music
"Badawi's
Jerusalem Under Fire puts Middle Eastern music, dancehall and dub together
as if they'd never been apart...melt(s) cultural separation like butter
in the sun - no wonder those giant fruit flies are coming back...makes
you wonder if Sub Dub's Raz Mesinai (the said Badawi) shouldn't be put
to work melting borders in the Middle East itself." - Reggae
Update
ABOUT RAZ MESINAI:
Composer, Musician, DJ and producer Raz Mesinai was born in Jerusalem in 1973 and was raised primarily in New York City.
Mesinai’s music is a unique hybrid of dance music and avant garde composition. He draws his influences from fiction, mythology, anarchist philosophy, as well as elements of alchemy and mysticism.
At the age of ten Mesinai began producing instrumental “breaks” for breakers and rappers in the early eighties. Due to frequent visits between New York City and the Middle East Mesinai developed a knowledge of both Sufi, Jewish, Algerian, Morroccon and Persian musical traditions. This combined with his self taught compositional style and his skills as an engineer and dub alchemist Mesinai developed his incomparable sound.
In 1992 Mesinai was recording his own dub tracks under the moniker “The Bedouin” or Badawi, and produced cassettes which he played on a boombox in the streets of lower Manhattan and sold to passersby. He began developing his use of the recording studio itself into a compositional tool, and produced some of his classic recordings with a 4-Track cassette and an echo chamber. While he was still a teenager, Mesinai began to make a name for himself as a DJ. Gaining a following for his seamless integration of all musical styles, he began spinning in some of New York’s most underground nightclubs, including Nylon, Mars, The RV, Save the Robots, Lime Light, Sound Lab, and The Pyramid among others. In 1992 Mesinai met veteran producer John Ward, and together they produced several recordings under the moniker Sub Dub (which are considered classics in the modern dub and so-called "Illbient" scene). During this same time Mesinai himself produced the modern dub classic Badawi Presents: Bedouin Sound Clash, featuring HoneyChild on vocals. Later came the Badawi records Jerusalem Under Fire, The Heretic of Ether and Soldier of Midian.
Meanwhile Mesinai began gaining recognition in New York City’s downtown music scene for his avant-garde percussion, piano, string, and electronic compositions. He met and was influenced by composer John Zorn, and in 2001 Zorn released Mesinai’s most abstract albums to date – Before The Law, Resurrections For Goatskin, and Cyborg Acoustics. His String Quartet for Four Turntables was commissioned and presented by the Lincoln Center Festival in 2000, and in 2001 Badawi: Soldier Of Midian (ROIR) received an award from Ars Electronica. In 2002 Mesinai performed for the second time in the Lincoln Center Festival, opening for revered Nubian musician Hamza El Din, and was a featured artist in the "Next Next Wave" portion of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Next Wave 2002 festival. Most recently Mesinai has received commissions from The Kronos Quartet, Ethel, and Maya Beiser.
