XHM #735 - "The muddled middle fields" (2025 March 24)

With Ramadan partly in mind, we primarily dig into sounds from the Middle East, focusing on Syria, a country that after over a decade of civil war, entered a period of relief. Alexandre Desplat's score to the 2005 film Syriana gives some Western context but we also hear some film music from Lebanon amongst other inspirations. 01. Radio Damascus: 7 Oct 2010 [2133UTC] 9330 kHz (ShortWaveMusic 2011: United Arab Emirates, 2010) Myke Weiskopf 02. Benjamin Clementine: Phantom of Aleppoville (I Tell a Fly, 2017) Behind/Virgin EMI 03. Zakir Hussain: Tabla Taal/Ek Taal [w.Alla Rakha] (The Rough Guide to Zakir Hussain, 2018) World Music Network/Music Rough Guides 04. David Johansen: Imaginatin' Cocktail (Better an Old Demon than a New God, 1984) Giorno Poetry Systems 05. Michelle Trachtenberg: Dawn's Lament (Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Once More with Feeling OST, 2002) Rounder/Fox Music/Mutant Enemy 06. Marta Salogni & Tom Relleen: March (Music for Open Spaces, 2023) Hands in the Dark 07. Sault: Heal (Acts of Faith, 2024) Forever Living Originals 08. Laurie Torres: Reflets (Après Coup, 2025) Tonal Union 09. Dobrawa Czocher: March (Dreamscapes, 2023) Modern Recordings 10. Per Kynne Frandsen: John Mills-Cockell's Age of Discovery [w.Susan Campbell] (Musicworks 127, 2017) Musicworks 11. Perila: Darbounouse Song (Intrinsic Rhythm, 2024) Smalltown Supersound 12. Jules Archive: March Evening (Platonic Tales, 2024) Hidden Harmony 13. Ruby Singh: Mojuba (Vox.Infold II, 2024) self-released 14. Mustafa: What Good is a Heart? (Dunya, 2024) Arts & Crafts/Jagjaguwar 15. Keyboard Masher: Discotheque Arabe (KM Editions 2 12", 2011) KM Editions 16. Kazdoura: Marhaba Ahlen (Ghoyoum, 2025) August 4 17. Colin Stetson: Back to Syria (The War Show OST, 2020) Milan 18. Omar Souleyman: Male Atab (Erbil, 2024) Mad Decent 19. Deena Abdelwahed: Fête (Flagranti OST, 2023) self-released 20. Omar Souleyman: Lansob Sherek (Dabke 2020: Folk & Pop Sounds of Syria, 2009) Sublime Frequencies 21. Abdul Baset Al-Sarout: Jannah Jannah (2011) ? 22. Alexandre Desplat: The Commute (Syriana OST, 2005) RCA Red Seal 23. Alexandre Desplat: Syriana (Syriana OST, 2005) RCA Red Seal 24. Alexandre Desplat: Fields of Oil (Syriana OST, 2005) RCA Red Seal 25. Alexandre Desplat: The Abduction (Syriana OST, 2005) RCA Red Seal 26. Alexandre Desplat: Take the Target Out (Syriana OST, 2005) RCA Red Seal 27. Alexandre Desplat: Truce (Syriana OST, 2005) RCA Red Seal 28. Ziad Rahbani: Yalla Kichou Barra (Houdou Nisbi, 1985) By-Pass Production 29. Ziad Rahbani: Final Theme (Bennesbeh Labokra...Chou? OST, 1978) Zida/Wewantsounds 30. Elias Rahbani: Kenna Netlaka Fi Al Shieh (Allegro, 1978) BMG 31. Khalil Joubran Khalil, Issa Fayad & Homs Band for Revival of Traditional Music: Al Nafs (Hanin: Field Recordings in Syria 2008/2009, 2021) Worlds within Worlds And on the road to Damascus, the wool fell from Ted Leo's eyes... C'mon, cake is truly outside! radiofreegak@gmail.com www.citr.ca/exploding-head-movies https://mas.to/@100aire