Friday, July 18, 2008  12:03 am 

Danceparty @ the Ascending Egyptian Algorhythm

It really can’t come soon enough, but in a few months time one of our most beloved of NYC experimentalist groups, Gang Gang Dance, will return to bestow upon us a new album of their intoxicating neo-tribal tekno trance that should sufficiently have everyone‘s bodies violently convulsing soon enough. Following on from the mind-blowing goodness that was God’s Money, and a slew of other awesomely mind melting releases, Saint Dymphna, will probably be one of the best things our ears will hear this year, and few things recently have sounded as exciting as the prospect that grime artist Tinchy Stryder will indeed be gate crashing their pharaonic rave.

House Jam, as a taster of things to come, has been made available as an xxxchange remix which on first listen will definitely rattle the cages of those who have become accustomed to Gang Gang Dance as the conjurers of broken riddims, haunted by decaying synths and visions of regretful Gorilla and vengeful father Nzame, because never before have Gang Gang Dance sounded so structured or well equipped to bring about the destruction of limp-ass indie discos everywhere, having been somewhat cleaned up by the Spank Rock cohort who‘s temporarily rubbed the foam from their mouths. So no, this isn’t exactly the same kind of primal dub workout we’re used to, but all the same it’s still nicely heavy stuff that should provoke the devoted into unwittingly hitting the dirt as they mutter strange, dead words to themselves, their eyes rolled into the back of their heads hypnotised by the tropical grunge and shamanistic diva wailings of Liz Bougatsos who incessantly asks the mystifyingly cryptic question, “Will the clouds carry my tears to you?”, evoking more wonderment the more its repeated.

Gang Gang Dance - House Jam (xxxchange Remix)

Joining Gang Gang Dance out in the vast technicolor Paper Rad deserts where Brooklyn and Cairo converse and become one, where Hummer convertibles caked in dust are pimped out with brightly coloured feathers, and gold beads, and idols of Sekhmet and Anuba sit on the dash as weathered speakers blast the streets with the sound clash of Wu Tang beats and Faiza Ahmed, are husband and wife duo, Rainbow Arabia.

Rainbow Arabia - Omar K

Adventuring on a similar dark star safari, Rainbow Arabia wearing their kaleidoscopic militia uniforms, and armed with unforgiving jet-black machine guns adorned with rainbows of ribbons, stampede into town on crystal war elephants, painted red with Nubian scrawl and decorated in chains of silver plated animal skulls, firing bullets into the sky to announce their arrival, creating the kind of noise you could imagine the DFA might make had they ever decided to throw a party in the underground ruins of Egypt, the ghosts of the Pyramids shaken into action by the sinuous rhythms and earth quaking basslines. They may very well be some of our newest favourite people.

labels >> gang gang dance, rainbow arabia