Fated alchemy. Sisters/brothers from other mothers. Disparate roads leading to the same destination. French experimental garage rock cultists CHEVEU have been making a racket from their Paris perch for years now. Of GROUP DOUEH much of the same can be said, their blend of West Sarahan Sahrawi music and psychedelic rock shimmering and evergreen. How they came together I’m not sure, that’s left vague in the record. What matters is that they came together and together found the universal element in their music approaches. Because each is an amazing band that weaves strange melody, and rhythm together, the results are extraordinary.
Ebullient is a word that keep popping up in my mind like a bobber on a line that is continually being tested. “Ach Had Ak Ya Khay” stinks of hip hop, sounding as if it might possibly have fallen off MIA’s truck as it passed through Africa. Bass is big here. “Bord De Mer” at 7 minutes may be my favorite song on the album. An insistent burner overflowing with insane guitar playing. And then the synthesizer angel arrives and wraps us in their warm embrace and I’m just so warm and cozy in here. And now the guitar angel is here. Douhe. The rest of the album is fantastic, filled with driving rhythms and electro-folk diversions alike, but I kind of just have to curl up on the floor over here, ok?
Hopefully, this isn’t a one off. Hopefully, everyone involved feels as strongly as I do that another meeting of these players needs to happen again, and soon. When we hear negativity directed toward Muslims here’s some Muslim music for blasting right back at the snakes via our giant boombox of love.
dope as fuck – will likely be listening to this on repeat the rest of the day.