Secretly Famous by The Spy From Cairo
LABEL: Wonderwheel Recordings  |||  Digital Release: December 15, 2009

Inspiring. Overwhelming. Relentless. Intense. And...somewhat flawed. Zeb, the extraordinarily talented and experienced multi-instrumentalist behind The Spy From Cairo, has crafted a incredible piece of work that unfortunately falls just shy of original genius. Though for just his second release under this working title, his achievement with Secretly Famous remains impressive.

The energy of this record is enormous; it grabs you and refuses to let go for its nearly 73 minutes of running time, offering an amazing dynamic throughout which in and of itself is no mean feat for an electronic album. But then, this isn't just another electronic offering. Immediately noticeable will be the extensive use of arrangements, sounds and instruments from West Asia and further East into India. This is the dominant motif from the Italian-Egyptian musician, a cultural credential that offers him a voice which avoids a lot of the common exotification one might find in a roster of Western artists trying to spice up their music with ethnic references. Many of the sounds aren't surprising, but they sound genuine and raw.

“The Spy From Cairo has created an infinitely enjoyable entrance point for further exploration into the music of an area with a rich and vibrant tradition.”

On closer inspection Zeb reveals much more of a range to us, covering dub, reggae, house, ambient and even rock (seriously, I've never heard an oud played with such balls). Traditional instruments layer on top of an electronic framework that pulses and adds a powerful rhythmic 'umpfh' to an already strong rhythmic tradition. Each track is careful and focused, neither so simplistic as to become redundant or so experimental as to meander in self-indulgence. The end result is a beat-heavy, seductive record you can't stop falling in love with.

The previously mentioned missteps come in primarily three areas. First, the production just seems too smooth, especially for the electronics. As Secretly Famous continues, I end up yearning for the low-fi raspiness of sampling masters like DJ Spooky or Rapoon to add another accent to the language of sound Zeb is offering.

Beyond this, the electronics don't flow as seamlessly into the traditional Eastern instruments as they probably should. The two elements appear as distinct layers that aren't communicating effectively and it's distracting at times on the record. The electronics and beats offer another problem: they just don't match the creativity and originality of the other instruments in the mix. If the ouds, flutes, vocals, hand drums and drones were stripped away, the beats, bass and keyboards wouldn't be offering much to hold a scrutinizing attention.

This is hardly enough to kill the excitement and talent found in this gem, however, and Secretly Famous weathers its own shortcomings admirably to remain a strong offering to fans of world and electronic music alike. The Spy From Cairo has created an infinitely enjoyable entrance point for further exploration into the music of an area with a rich and vibrant tradition.


REVIEWED BY NEIL LEVENS
NEIL'S FAVORITE TRACKS: "Kembe" • "Blood & Honey" • "Indian Dope"