World music can sometimes resemble fusion cuisine, becoming a contrived novelty whose appeal is paper-thin. However, disparate ingredients can sometimes produce a pleasing dish. In the case of music, The Spy From Cairo pulls off a coup on its latest CD, melding Jamaican dub with the oud-driven music of the Near East in a dance-club fusion. Dub's eerie echoes and the minor-key wail of the Islamic-Byzantine world share a sense for the otherworldly in their ability to conjure up shimmering visions in sound. In the hands of NYC producer Zeb, mastermind behind the Spy, Jamaica and Jordan sound like neighbors.
The Spy From Cairo
Arabadub (Wonderwheel)
