- Desert blues goes techno.
- Grammy-winning collective Tinariwen are veterans of desert blues, a guitar-heavy style of folk music and doomy rock from North and West Africa. Their melodies, lyrics and stirring chords unfold gently, despite bearing the weight of heavy life experiences. The rapturous effect their music can have endures on Deena Abdelwahed's remix of their 2004 single "Arawan." Increasing the tempo with layers of added percussion, retro synths, some acid squelches and looped vocals, the Tunisian producer marries the spirituality of desert blues with deep, dark techno. As warped elements and staggered drums accentuate the original's hypnotic nature, Abdelwahed's respect for the Tuareg collective is palpable. Cross-genre collaborations like these means the musicians may now have a new audience in their pocket: clubland.