Perhaps, a review reveals as much about the reviewer as it does about the artwork. This is doubly and triply true here. Shiran & Bakal are part of the Israel’s Arab minority, with Yemeni and Iraqi roots. On »Electro Baghdad«, they combine instruments from every corner of the so-called »Middle East«, Iraqi songs and Techno beats to form »Electro Hafla«, Arab party anthems. The music is orientalist, not explicitly political and it doesn’t need to be. Shiran & Bakal’s self-confident demeanour, their connection to the cosmopolitan scene of Tel Aviv, and the choice of Baghdad as a place of longing are provocative. They would have been provocative 10 years ago – in Baghdad as well as in Be’er Sheva, in Balearic tourist traps as well as in Berlin. It’s complicated.
But as difficult as the debate surrounding its context may be, »Electro Baghdad« is, first and foremost, light-footed and life-affirming. Nowhere is this more evident than on »Ah La Layla Yumma« (Oh my night, mother). The energetic anthem combines heart-wrenching vocals with fiery beats. Its dissonance is great, but that’s what makes it great. The songwriting on »Electro Baghdad« is impressively concise. It’s difficult not to project your own beliefs and ideals onto an album like this. That may not speak well for me as a reviewer. Yet, it is a sign of Shiran & Bakal’s musical talent.
Electro Baghdad
