aaamusic | On 26, May 2012

Zahed Sultan is a Kuwaiti singer-songwriter and producer who is particularly known for founding social awareness organization ENV (stylized en.v). This new ‘Reuse Me EP’ comes just a year after his debut LP ‘Hi Fear, No Love’, and features two original tracks and two additional remixed versions.

 

The opening title track is a synthpop-laced slice of ambient electronica, featuring Sultan’s airy vocals in both English and Arabic. The synth sounds recall early Metronomoy, while the overall atmosphere (and, in particular, the drum programming) comes across just like Damon Albarn’s, iPad-created Gorillaz album ‘The Fall’. The chorus is certainly infectious, but the song sounds a tad empty (just like that last Gorillaz LP). The remix of ‘Reuse Me’, however, adds some extra glitches and pace to the track – which make for a definite improvement.

 

The second original song of Zahed Sultan’s EP – ‘Like This (Ha-Ka-Tha)’ – is considerably more accomplished than the title track. Its dark, minimal techno vibe is pleasingly memorable, and the ghoulish spoken word (in Arabic) is strangely hypnotic.  The world drums are welcome without being in your face, and the energetic last minute is banging. The ‘Like This’ remix is a much more muted affair, with the industrial core of the original replaced by a chillout-lounge sound. The second half of the remix ups the pace a smidgen, introducing a liquid techno thump, but it remains flat in comparison to the original.

 

All in all, a fairly solid EP by Zahed Sultan. ‘Like This (Ha-Ka-Tha)’ shows that he is certainly capable of producing brilliant fusions of electronic music and eastern beats, but the title track is a little disappointing. Check it out on May 28^th….

 

★★★★★

Clive Rozario