Omar Souleyman's work inhabits the blurry region that separates "embarrassingly misguided and inept pop" from "brilliant outsider art." Despite that, this cadaverously aloof Syrian is the reigning king of his country's cassette kiosks and an extremely popular wedding singer (and rightly so). This is bizarre even by Sublime Frequencies standards.
Aside from his striking appearance (mustache and omnipresent big '70s sunglasses) and somnambulant demeanor, there is (probably) nothing particularly bizarre about Omar Souleyman. Sure, he's a character, but he is a fairly conventional and soulful vocalist and he specializes in a style of music that is rather mainstream (in Syria, of course). However, he has two secret weapons that elevate him into something wholly outlandish: lyricist Mahmoud Harbi and multi-instrumentalist Rizan Sa'id. Harbi adds an element of surreality to live performances by stoically standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Souleyman, chain-smoking and whispering lyrics into his ear. Sa'id, however, is the one that deserves most of the credit for the strangeness herein: it is his zeal for modern electronics and striking lack of musical restraint that prevents Souleyman from sounding at all like other dabke artists (a traditional style of music that accompanies line-dancing).
"Atabat" opens the album in a surprisingly tame way, as Souleyman passionately bares his poetic soul over a somber drone, punctuated by tasteful bouzok or saz fills. It is quite pleasant, but not especially unique. Notably, Souleyman sounds like he is singing through a thin layer of static or battling a microphone that just can't handle the sheer power of his world-weariness (a production quirk that is maintained for the entire duration of the album). Oddly, this works in his favor, giving his vocals a rawness and immediacy. Then, however, comes the indescribably weird and confusing "Lansob Sherek" (I Will Make A Trap), which roughly resembles an early Cabaret Voltaire trying to drown out a drunken bagpipe ensemble. I don't think my bafflement is a result of any cultural bias or lack of understanding: the distorted percussion fills and unhinged synthesizer shredding would sound clumsy, overenthusiastic, and somewhat demented in any cultural context.
Thankfully, not all of the tracks are in that vein, as Dabke 2020 compiles a variety of tracks from dozens of cassettes recorded over the last decade (as does its recently reissued predecessor Highway to Hassake). For example, "La Sidournak Sayyada" (I'll Prevent The Hunters From Hunting You) is far more accessible, as it marries a big thumping house beat to relatively unmolested traditional melodies and instrumentation. Souleyman then slows things down a bit for the next track (one for the ladies, perhaps?) with the melancholic "Jamila" (Beautiful Woman), but it is sabotaged (or enhanced?) by some over-aggressive percussion and space-y/proggy synth noodling.
"Qalub An Nas" is another frenzied party jam, which I believe is in the Iraqi Choubi style (although Middle Eastern ethnomusicology is not one my strengths). Again, the synths are a bit characteristically crazy and over the top. The same is true for "Laqtuf Ward Min Khaddak", although this track stands out from the others due to Sa'id's more liberal (and possibly arbitrary) use of effects (I definitely hear a phaser, at the very least).
The album closes in rather unexpected fashion with the slow, sensuous groove of "Kaset Hanzal" (Drinking From The Glass of Bitterness). This is probably the best song on the album in the conventional sense, as Sa'id keeps himself relatively reigned in and Souleyman's heartbroken laments are augmented with some beautiful (and untreated) violin and bouzok (or saz).
Usually, world music albums that find their way into the US are either quite serious or influential, so it was jarring to hear something come out of my stereo that initially sounded like shrill and disposable contemporary pop. After several more listens and witnessing some very amusing YouTube clips, however, I was ultimately charmed. I am not sure how much of Souleyman's unique artistic vision is intentional and how much is happy accident, but I am certain there is no other group on earth that sounds like this. Also, Souleyman's inimitable blend of passion, exuberance, and sheer absurdity make for arguably the best party music in the world. It would be nice if someone would invite me to a Syrian wedding, as it seems increasingly unlikely that I will catch any of the remaining Sublime Frequencies European tour dates.
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