Parallel Universe, Vol. 1

Few singers move between Arabic musical traditions and Western styles as effortlessly as Natacha Atlas. From her early days with British collective Transglobal Underground to her more recent explorations of jazz, the Belgium born Egyptian-British singer has continually pushed her music in new directions. On Parallel Universe – Volume 1, she reunites with longtime collaborator Samy Bishai, an Egyptian violinist, composer and producer, for a heady blend of Arabic pop, jazz, trip-hop and the rhythms and vocal styles of Egyptian mahraganat.

The album gets off to a haunting start with the spiralling rhythms of “Zar 12,” where Atlas’s melismatic vocals rise above a restless, increasingly unsettling electronic backdrop.  Tracks like “Wana Leih” and “Haga Zay Kidda” are softer and more wistful, their dreamy, layered vocals and buoyant rhythms recalling the romantic Arabic pop of the 1990s; “Dawsha” takes a darker turn, with sampled Arabic percussion, filtered voices and brooding trip-hop textures. Throughout, Bishai’s inventive production brings together quarter-tone synths, distorted strings and deep electronic bass, creating a richly textured but very fluid sound. 

Dedicated to Palestine, the album is also an expression of grief, anger and resistance, culminating in the powerful “Somoud.” Featuring a spoken-word introduction by British-Guyanese poet and longtime Transglobal Underground collaborator TUUP, the track is an uncompromising anti-war statement, bringing the record’s political urgency into sharp focus. Yet even at its darkest, Parallel Universe leaves room for tenderness, beauty and hope.