Musique Original de Films

This marks the third release in less than a year from Germany's killer Habibi Funk label, which is dedicated to unearthing rare, grooving treasures from the world of Arab music during the 1970s. Ahmed Malek is a prolific, award-winning Algerian film composer, arranger, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and bandleader. He was among the first in his country to experiment with the Moog and wedded its sounds and textures to jazz, funk, rock and of course, Arab folk traditions. Musique Original de Films contains remastered versions of songs from the musician's seminal album of the same name, adds previously unreleased tracks, rare photos of the artist's life, and even includes an interview. While the sounds on this 14-track set are easily distinguishable, the way they are assembled is both captivating and strange, emotional and deeply saturated with grooves subtle and overt. Check the opener "Omar Gatlato" (there is an alternate version as the album's bookend): Slippery B-3, a sultry cowbell