Ball of Wax 54 Songs: Al Mustaqil – المستقلة – الحرية بين أشجار الزيتون

One thing I treasure about this series – and a reason I keep doing it, 14 years in now – is the new artists I’ve been exposed to from all over the world, who seem to think this thing is worth being a part of and keep sending me music to share with you. Jacopo Andreini is one such artist, and so far everything he’s sent my way has been strange, challenging, and thrilling – although never under his own name, for some reason. For volume 48 his Katacomb Trio brought us the Sicilian-language track “Puttana di Tu Mà,” and now we have this inspired gem from his new collaborative solo project Al Mustaqil. This track blends Jacopo’s skills with tenor bouzouki, flute, turntable, and programming with a sample of Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi, to evoke the sounds of the Mediterranean underground and to provide “a soundtrack to the contemporary clashes of the area.” This track is a fascinating window into a culture – or cultures – I know very little about, and  its lo-fi sound, hectic structure, and multi-layered, multi-cultural melodies and rhythms create a tension and unease that provide a tiny glimpse into life in a conflict-ridden area. It is unsettling and blistering, but at the same time demands to be listened to again and again.