Anouar Brahem trio's Astrakan Café was released in 2000. I came upon it by chance, listening to this & that on last.fm. The intensity & sparseness of the music enchanted me immediately, and I got inspired to find out more about the artist. Anouar Brahem, from Tunisia, plays oud, a kind of lute. An equally important instrument, giving depth to the melodies, is the clarinet. Some songs feature percussion. Reviewers have dwelled on the sources of inspiration for Astrakan café (jazz, classical music, and what not), but I know too little to comment on that. All I know is that these swirling, yet very exact, melodies tosses me around, holding me in a firm grip. Most of the songs are quiet, languidly paced, revolving around themes that float around only to reappear in a recognizable form. Some tunes are rhytmic, with a steady-ish backbone of percussion, while others are held together by a set of sparse oud or clarinet patterns. Despite working with different atmospheres, the songs seem to evaporate into a whole. Don't be scared. This is not a difficult record (even though difficult is a bad word that says nothing at all - is difficult music something you have to study at a conservatory in order to understand, or is it simply music that requires your full attention?). How should I say? Without being sentimental, or self-obsessed, this is music exploding with emotion. In a quiet, restrained way. Without excess. And still - very straightforward, somehow.And while I'm at it - I also want to recommend another record by Anouar Brahem - Le Pas du chat noir.
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