a perfect recipe for a good nightmare

Ingredients:

• Watch: Cremaster 3

• Listen to: Ghostigital

• Sleep at: 8:30 AM

Interestingly, this nightmare recipe ingredients are closely linked to one of my favourite artists ever, Björk...

*reconsiders*

bollywood goodness

Ok, here's the deal. Every once in a while I get inspired by a certain culture. That includes the music, history, cuisine, movies, language, culture and more. Remember the time I was dying to go to Tokyo? I mean I still do want to go there but I'm into another culture which I felt I could relate to more as I can easily be in contact with. I always liked it, but now I'm rather focusing on experiencing it as much as possible.

My friends who are from South Asia (Sabz, Tas, & Myiah) introduced me to a couple of musical performances from Bollywood movies. I have to say, I always liked how Bollywood acts are perfectly in-sync and how every little detail is paid attention to. It has it's own flavour. I was introduced so many times previously by my friends Souraiya and Harry-Singh, but now I got my memory revived with the brilliance of such productions. The following are a couple of the videos they showed me:

[Stage6 is Dead Now]

This is a music video from the Bollywood film of the same title Aaja Nachle which means "Come and Dance". It features Mandhuri Dixit who is a renowned Bollywood artist and been considered an icon in Bollywood.

This on the other hand is the one that really blew me away, unfortunately I couldn't find it in Higher Quality but I absolutely love everything about it. The gracefullness of both Mandhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai is just fascinating. The colours, the vibrant atmosphere, the set - it's all magical. This is from the movie Devdas which apparently was a huge hit and I'm planning on watching it very soon. The song is already on my iPod, which I consider very catchy and great to listen to!

I'm also watching the new release of Jodhaa Akbar which shall be interesting since it focuses on a story of the Mughal Jalaluddin Akbar (or as referred to as Akbar the Great) and his Hindu wife Jodhaa (or Jodhabai, a.k.a Marrium-uz-Zamani). Here's the trailer from the film, although I'm not so impressed with the editing of the trailer but the film must be good:

[Stage6 is Dead Now]

So yeah, more to be watched and enjoyed - yet for the meantime I'll just enjoy strolls in Southall!
As I have strong urge to eat Butter Chicken Masala, Chicken Tikka, Naans & Onion Bhajji to be finishing it off with Lassi all week long. See? this is a culture I can get in touch with and experience on an almost full level. It might be upsetting to those of origins from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh or others but when you can't go there I guess this is the best you can get when you're in the UK, no?

p.s: Pakistanis are HAWT, i didn't just discover that - it was over the span of the last 2 and half years ;D

even if it leads to nowhere

soundtrack of your life should consist many tracks, and I got a good bunch so far but this is the latest edition, here's my new favourite tune (and Artist)

Chasing Pavements by Adele. To hell with Dopey Horsehouse!

i'm happy

Monday i'll be in Amman
Tuesday i'll be in Cairo
Next Tuesday I'll be back in Amman

BUT what's more important
Mai Selim finally released her album! WEEEEEEEEEEEEE
*dance of joy*

The cover is not bad, well If the spammed up logos are taken off, the title replaed with a very minimal calligraphed Arabic one in the corner would look much better. Uft, Next time Mai - let ME design your album cover :D


something like this maybe? LOL - I don't know, did it in 15 mins! haha:

features my favourite style, Diwani! :D

anyway, the album sounds exciting! :D

Just when the world gets too depressing...

...Realise you're just living in a cardboard box,
this song makes me happy - and no I didn't just find the song, been humming it for the last 12 years! I just found the video.
80s at it's best

Ruby - Meshit Wara Ehsasy

I will never ever deny, and will always admit that I was massively impressed by the debut album of Ruby. Though the fact she came into the business with a tongue-in-cheek approach but to me she proved that she's a well artist and was able to pull off a good job with Mohammad Rahim's tunes. Now, almost 2 years later, she comes back with her sophomore Meshit Wara Ehsasy.

Regardless to the album cover photograph that might not be the most satisfying, still it's an irrelevant subject (but to us designers, its totally relevant!), but hey at least she's not hootchying it up. The album has 8 original new songs, same case with her debut album and as I previously complained about this drawback, the rest are 2 remixes, an oriental version and an instrumental music of some of the 8 tracks. Now for individual review to the tracks within:

1. Ah Min Amaylo:
   I got this strong vibe that they were trying to create some sort of a throwback to the older style of the popular Egyptian music. And I have to say, you can't help but get these nostalgic Amr Diab early days career memories. The song's music is amazingly done, the use of tablah and strings was beautifully coordinated to produce this faithful to vintage track. Half star goes to the bit off guitar! But i guess it adds to the vintage feel.
   
   
2. Bashtaa' La'Eneik:
   Absolutely nothing special, just one of these old all-mushy mushy songs. It sounds like a test song
   
   
3. El Mane' Kheir:
   This is song is absolutely cool, heavy base along with electric guitar, nai and tablah can't go wrong. What's more interesting about this song, how much fun it is to listen to. The subtle "Oul Oul Oul" as well as the harmonic "Tara-ba-ra-ta-ra-ta-ra" and the muffled uttered 'rants' of her can't make you not like the song. Still, A star is lost for the excessive repetition of the lyrics, a bit of variation never hurts. A certain musical solo reminded me SO much of Tariq Al Nasser's theme song for Yawmeyaat Mudeer Aam (A General Manager's Diary)
   
   
4. Mosh Hate'dar:
   Probably most of you saw the short version of this song as the music video of this album. The music is nothing but EXCELLENT, so reminiscent of Asalah's early music. The variation of the music, along with the pure oriental style is a huge success, yet Ruby's voice was a bit of a downer, though the fact that she'd be considered a mezzo-soprano in western voice classification but that didn't justify the fact that the music overshadowed her voice in some parts of the song.
   
   
5. Mali:
   This song definitely requires to be listened to more than one time. Your first impression will be that it's boring and dull, and probably because you feel she's trying to hard in her voice than being rather relaxed. Still though, after an additional listen or two you'll find what a masterpiece this is. The music would probably be the closest to her previous works from Eb'a Abelni album. The song's arrangement somehow generally reminds us of a much-talked-about-video-and-not-song, El Gharam.
   
   
6. Ya Imma Ana:
   Nothing but disappointing, the electro intro gets you excited to suddenly bash you with a badly done mini-mix of Ruby's vocals along with nothing but awkward beats. The song had potential, but it's arrangement was dreadful and was all over the place.
   
   
7. Es'alni Hate'raf:
   Fun little song, yet something really bland and repetitive about it which made it lose those two stars. The vocal arrangement was quite impressive, especially the harmonies and certain replies from the background vocals. Yet still, the song seemed unnecessary to be picked and put on this album.
   
   
8. Meshit Wara Ehsasy:
   And by that rating, I mean the Oriental version not the original. I wish the oriental was labelled as the original one and the house one as the extra version. This song is seriously one of the best sentimental songs I've heard in ages in the music industry. The Nai, the violins, the riq and all the instruments included along with her voice were nothing but impressive and touching. Surprisingly, her voice dominates the song and leads you through this masterpiece. Though missing a couple of essential instruments to be a full Takht, but this one definitely qualifies as one.
   
   I would also rate the house/dance version of the song with 5 stars, we've witnessed so many desperate tryouts by Arabic artists to achieve the right club-floor-filler sound but many failed, not this one. The coordination of the original violin sounds along with the hard hitting beat is something of worthy, and Ruby's voice was laid out perfectly on the song.
   

So the overall rating for this album would be 4/5

After using a cheating approximation from a total of 3.68 but seriously the album deserves huge respect - especially for the fact that Ruby and whoever is behind her (Sherif Sabri, that is) represented her in a much much less provocative image and slapped every single critic in the face who accused her of using her image just like everybody else to garner success. Not saying that she didn't, but she was fair and square and whoever listened to her debut album carefully realises the amount of effort Mohammad Rahim, Khalid Ezz, Hadi Sharara and others has put into it.

Bottom line, the album's excellent and to me I was nothing but impressed by how mature and professional (not always) it sounded. Putting the quirky playful tunes behind from her previous musical experience, this definitely ranks a good position in the Arabic music scene.

Here's her "shocking" new video of Mush Hate'dar (video version of the song is much shorter):

Well Apparently I Make Stir...

and buzz over the new after doing this video:

Rock on man, rock on.

Ufft, I can't wait for Friday
i'm leaving teenagism behind! LOL

No Additives

if you really feel like it, listen to the first full album recorded on a mobilephone.
pretty interesting, not a super wowzer, yet some nice harmony strumming and broken english.

Zgurt Akher Hal Leil

I've had my share of disappointment when I try to share some of my memories in Jordan with my older brothers, they grew up in the 80's and I grew up in the 90's where Jordan had a total different vibe (at least of what I figured out while sharing).

I was roaming the net, and I don't know I stumbled over "Rakeb El Suburban" and by "Suburban" you're supposed to pronounce it "Subarbaan". And I got this rush of memories of the fad of DJ Abu Yousef and tonnes of other stuff.

I remember "Nat El Bess A Thahr El Chees" phrases, "Bethwi w Betfi" and others I used to recite almost everyday with not really understanding how cool they are! Now I look back and I realise how Jordanian these songs were, and not in a traditional sense -- Rather in a hip, funny and catchy style.

So now I wonder,
Where are you Abu Yousef? Can you hear me? Would you please make a comeback
Believe me it would the next best thing!

Download:
Rakeb Hal Suburban - DJ Abu Yousef & Rania Kurdi

P.S: The Cartoon at the top was totally from the image of DJ Abu Yousef lying in the back of my mind, then after searching I found this photo of him and Rania Kurdi. Super crappy quality.

Paul Is Dead

Nothing's more captivating than urban legends,
it just drags you in, and you wander throughout these endless mysteries.
You probably don't want to look back while reading...