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MH-272 Andre Afram Asmar - Harmonic Emergency  Shortly after Andre Afram Asmar began working on Harmonic Emergency, the follow up to his acclaimed 2003 Mush debut Racetothebottom, he suffered an aneurism that left him with only half of his faculties intact. The completion of the album became the most therapeutic practice Asmar would undertake, and he sought out musicians to help him realize the vision that he feared he might have lost. With an international list of collaborators, including legendary reggae bass player Fully Fullwood, drummers from all over Latin America and the Middle East, and vocalists from Syria and Israel, Asmar collected hours of original source material for Harmonic Emergency. Combining epic arrangements, flowing production, and a master’s touch on the board learned at the feet of some of dub’s greatest mixers, Asmar breathes true urgency into Harmonic Emergency; frequencies clash to uneasy resolutions, genres pile atop each other with astounding effectiveness and live percussion is suddenly overwhelmed by adrenalized electronics. As the third world struggles to make itself heard from outside the halls of power, Harmonic Emergency seeks to project the intensity of that very voice from within. |
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| Reviews Summary |
| Dub reggae messes with sounds through addition, subtraction, distortion, and sudden shifts - iTunes / Harmonic Emergency was primarily a dub-rooted project with sound fragments looped and echoed into oblivion - Prefix / AAA may well be on a road leading through dance clubs - Rap Talk / Far to much to savor with just one dose - Aiding & Abetting / This is an album that is made from love of life and all it has to offer - Scratched Vinyl |
| Reviews | |
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| Dub reggae messes with sounds through addition, subtraction, distortion, and sudden shifts. On 2011's Harmonic Emergency, Andre Afram Asmar takes those tendencies and expands upon them, creating tracks that rattle and hum with a variety of tones and human utterances. Things can get pretty dense, creating music that might be called clutterdub, while at other times it's hard to categorize the tracks. Asmar often incorporates vocals or instrumental flavors redolent of the Middle East, but it's hard to anticipate what ingredients he might stir into his rich sonic stews. The opener, "We Want U 2 Know," flutters with energy. You get the sense that a big beat is about to kick in, but it never does: instead, an atmospheric tension is maintained throughout. "Onward Forward" charges ahead as synth lines cut through the air and percussion makes a welcome racket. Singing echoes over rub-a-dub flow of "Spirit Guides," while melodica riffs and loads of details brush up against each other on "Grace from the Bottom." Wooly vocals, fine bass, and splitting beats mark "Dark Found Light," which might be the best cut here. - iTunes |
