Muslimgauze - Satyajit Eye on 180 gram audiophile vinyl

The Muslimgauze Preservation Society proudly offer a proper issue of the cinematic Satyajit Eye on 180 gram audiophile vinyl packaged in previously unrevealed sleeve art by Bryn Jones. Each release will also have a fold open insert of a Jones graphic, like ones included with Limited Editions releases (his own label during the 1980′s) as well as liner notes on the recording of this significant work in the Muslimgauze canon. Satyajit Eye is in fact a companion release to Vote Hezbollah, the first time John Delf and Bryn Jones worked together in the Cutting Rooms studios back in 1993. At the time, Delf was freshly trained to engineer conventional rock bands when in walked Jones with his instruments and DATs, asking, “there you go, can you mix it?” Delf had no idea what Jones wanted. The music and approach was unlike anything he heard or learned in vocational school. For Delf, Muslimgauze sessions were experimental as they proceeded to use the studio equipment in ways not originally intended to produce a sound not thought of before. Half of Satyajit Eye are excerpts from the Vote Hezbollah sessions, while the other half are extra songs. So began one of the mutually longest working relationships in Delf and Jones’ career. Among the early works, Satyajit Eye is also one of the more pristine and has the varied emotional range of an epic film, alternating between fervent and reflective moments like struggling through a storm to reach its quiet eye, then info the fray once more. Psychedelic, the music is evocative of fevered dreams of sun burned valleys of Pakistan, Pashtun controlled mountains of Afghanistan, post war plains of Iran, and Israeli incursions in occupied Palestine. Now is your chance to experience this high quality recording in an ideal setting, packaged the way Bryn Jones would have done himself, while paying homage by excerpting a fragment of the upcoming Muslimgauze: Chasing the Shadow of Bryn Jones. Price is $32.50, which includes shipping!

Please e-mail contact (at) fathomdistribution (dot). com if you are interesting in this product and want to work out a shipping deal.

It is possible that a deeply fickle Bryn Jones, who was never happy with remixes of Muslimgauze music apart from his own, might be with this one. Extreme, which is among the earlier Muslimgauze labels intends a re-issue of the Extreme catalog at some point and to that end hired Anders Peterson to remaster them. Peterson, a talented producer in his own right brought his considerable audio engineering skills to revitalize Muslimgauze releases. In the process of listening to masters and studying the music, the idea of a remix or ÔreworkÕ seemed an intuitive next step, reflects Peterson, The remixes are based on various material from about 6 DAT tapes. I did not choose any specific tracks, rather sections and parts of all the recordings on those tapes. I did not seek to do a remix, it just grew up of that remastering project. I think I could not find any artist in any genre, anywhere, that would be more interesting to rework / remix than Muslimgauze, so I definitely feel very honored having been able to record these remixes. Artists who remix the work of another tend to impose her/his own stylings and perspectives onto the work, not so with this remix project. Peterson is more in tune with a listener experience that delivers new perspectives on Muslimgauze music so his efforts are not unlike an audio engineer than an artist per se. Peterson restricted his palette to the studio session masters and took care not to omit outside sounds or influences. Audio engineer, John Delf worked much the same way as he took turns with Bryn Jones at the mixing desk as they decided what elements to fade in and out and what to process through assorted treatments and effects. Consequently, for this writer, A.P. Remixes Muslimgauze remains the most reverent remix this writer has encountered. Musically, this release falls in line with Intifaxa/United States of Islam era Muslimgauze with synthetic kick drum metronome beats, lush arrays of traditional ethno-hand percussion, ringing chimes, and cymbals that crash like tumultuous waves against rocky shores. Perhaps the most evocative track from these remixes is Citadel in Nightlight with its sustained synthesized tone, though pristine yet particular to JonesÕ era so as to suggest nostalgia. The music remains timeless, the production as crisp as ever. Those familiar with the Muslimgauze oeuvre know this music is more than just a series of infectious rhythmic works. Rather a historical document, a musical commentary on the tumultuous times that inspired it; a reflection on the Iran/Iraq war, Operation Desert Storm, the Soviet invasion of and retreat from Afghanistan and the first Intifada of Occupied Palestine. Anders Peterson brings the music of Muslimgauze and successfully found new ways to reveal the artistries from one of the 20th centuryÕs more intriguing artists. Through circumstance, Extreme collaborated with Staalplaat to ensure the remix project sees light of day, now available on the evidently timeless medium of a vinyl record.

A.P. Reworks Muslimgauze 12"

Visit the entry in Fathom Distribution to hear audio samples and order.

Z'ev and Nick Parkin