Recorded entirely in a basement studio on a four-track recorder with a multivox echo chamber, percussionist/dub master Badawi creates quite a stir on his ROIR debut,
Presents Bedouin Sound Clash. Unlike his future release, 1997's
Jerusalem Under Fire, this is not an instrumental affair, due to the aid of vocalist/lyricist Honeychild. But it does share the same approach, which is to create an original and irresistible new musical style with its combination of reggae rhythms and exotic percussion from the Middle East. This consistent collection of originals would sound perfect in a cavernous dance hall, with bass-heavy rhythms that instantly bring to mind dub legends such as
Lee "Scratch" Perry and
the Mad Professor. ~ Greg Prato