Osman Arabi - Burning Sigils

Our review
Customer reviews
Press release

5...according to our Phil on Wed 13 Aug, 2008.

Something which came as a total surprise to me was the Osman Arabi CD 'Burning Sigils' on Fractured Spaces. After hearing it once I casually blundered 'it's the best thing I've heard all day'. I've taken it home for further investigation and I can confirm my initial statement was true. It's one of the best things I've heard in ages to be honest. Osman is a Lebanese chap who's perhaps better known for his other projects under the names of Seeker and 20.sv. I have to say I've never heard of either of them. But there's so much music out there being made these days I reckon most shops like us only scratch the surface of what's going on. Here we have one 38 minute track which is weird percussive dark ambience. In the background you've got this swirling dark paranoia which is nothing but foreboding, but it's lightened by this slow heavy middle eastern sounding percussive beat which is well mantra ish. I swear it sounds like Shackleton slowed down to half speed... especially when the wierd synth noises come in it just sounds like really slowed down dubstep. If you liked the Soundboy Punishments CD I reckon you'll like this. I think there's probably a healthy amount of Muslimgauze in there too. Roll a bit fat one and chill out to this for 40 minutes and forget about the fact you've got no money to eat or buy that nice hat you've been eyeing up. I like hats.

The third release on FracturedSpacesRecords is Osman Arabi’s “Burning Sigils”, a single 38-minute track of deeply hypnotic ethno-ambience tinged with a cold darkness; a forgotten text written in the blood of generations, a story of long-buried secrets and civilisations that worshipped dark gods in the hidden kingdoms, lost to time and memory, becoming covered by both sand and the unforgiving ravages of time. This languid and hip-swayingly sinister piece builds slowly, unfolding its narrative unhurriedly, in the same way that the ages-old deserts themselves have been around forever, in the process resurrecting the shades of aeons-dead peoples and blowing cold winds across the heat-ridden sandy wastes. Delve with us into the black heart of a now-vanished civilisation and visit the incense-filled temples of the gods of the arid places.
OSMAN ARABI is better known as the driving force behind the raw, acid- and hate-filled harsh electronics onslaught outfit 20.SV, and also the ritual ambient project SEEKER. This release sees Arabi tread a new path, creating textures and sonic narratives inspired by the environment and troubled history of his own childhood, a reflection perhaps of the troubled history of his homeland.

Be the first to review this record. Best reviewer each month gets £10 off their next order!