V.A. - Tribal Matrix 2 (Dakini Records / DAK2119)

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01. Makyo - Malfouf
02. Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Toros (Kaya Project Remix)
03. Jef Stott - Junjara
04. Drumspyder - Dunanwi
05. Omar Faruk Tekbilek - Dulger (Greg Hunter Remix)
06. Rain In Eden - Rumi
07. Taichi Masuda - Butcha Bassment
08. Taal Fiza - Infospehere
09. Makyo - Parandeh
10. Drumspyder - Kalypso
11. Rain In Eden - Haqiqa
12. Dubsahara - Zentropy
13. Adham Shaikh - Kundalini Fuel

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Tribal Matrix 2 : : bellydancer breaks, tribal dub & oriental ambience

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Tribal Matrix 2 further explores the mid-eastern/electronic fusion of Vol.1, the most popular Dakini release since 2000's classic Skydancing compilation. Similarly inspired by the innovative stylings of Tokyo's tribal-fusion bellydance scene, TM2 offers up a selection of fresh, focused tracks designed to appeal to djs as much as bellydancers. If Vol. 1 was exploring the sound, Vol. 2 has definitely found it, a mesmerising mix of saz and synths, breakbeats and bukkas, daf drumming and dub mixing.

Featuring 100% all-new and exclusive tracks, Tribal Matrix 2 collects work from the pioneers of ethnodelic fusion. Dakini regular Makyo, who has been working in Indo-Arab dub since the early '90s, checks in with two new tracks: the dramatic opener, "Malfouf", fuses a classic Egyptian rhythm with soaring electric violin and vocals, and some serious sub that will destroy smaller speakers. "Parandeh" features the bendir rhythms of North Africa wed to fuzzy acid breaks and a sampledelic flight over Morocco.

Turkish maestro Omar Faruk Tekbilek, who's been remixed by everyone from Makyo to Shulman, sees two more remixes from top producers: Kaya Project (Interchill) takes the moody "Toros" and adds his trademark sweeping strings and breaks to the original's ney flute and saz to create a beautiful downtempo trip; Greg Hunter, known for his work with The Orb and Subsurfing, takes "Dulger" and turns it inside out, with rippling dub effects and a Jah Wobble-esque bassline, all rippling vocals and flutes floating towards the vanishing point. Greg Hunter also turns up in his Dubsahara guise, with the piece "Zentropy", recorded in a Cairo hotel room, with some searing solos on saz and kanoon that will take your breath away.

San Francisco talents Jef Stott and Drumspyder both appear with new material. Jef Stott, already known to Dakini fans for his Lumin project, follows up his well-received solo debut on Six Degrees Records with a gorgeous track in 10-beat rhythm; Jef's acoustic oud playing, accompanied by ney flute, flows through a traditional melody while skittering reks and deep bass propel the track to its climax. Drumspyder, an accomplished percussionist on all sorts of mid-eastern drums, lays down two absolutely phat and funky trax here: both "Dunanwi", named for the Egyptian god, and "Kalypso", based on a Persian Gulf rhythm, feature live drumming on darbukka & frame drums over breaks that just cut through a dance floor. (Look for a Drumspyder full-length release on Dakini later in 2009.)

Tokyo band Rain In Eden, known for their dedication to obscure Silk Road instruments, preview two tracks from the sessions for their forthcoming album; both are almost totally acoustic, start slow, and then build to a climax of sufi-spinning ecstacy. Also based in Tokyo, Taichi Masuda turns in trippy soundscape that sound like some Saharan campfire jam under the stars after the majoun kicks in. From Canada, Taal Fiza's "Infosphere" features the Indian instrument known as the hang, which is like a steel drum that looks like an upside-down UFO, while Adham Shaikh -- who has no peer when it comes to live/electronic fusion -- turns in an epic slow-burning piece to close out the album, nearly 14-minutes of drum-pulse hypnosis.