Magic Spirit Quartet

As one of the leaders of the Gnawa revival and its incursions into fusion, Majid Bekkas has stressed the importance of maintaining the spirituality of this music. Thought to have originated with sub-Saharan slaves in Morocco, Gnawa is used in all-night healing trances. In its secular form, though, fusion with modern trance music has obvious appeal. This is the first release from this new group, which combines Bekkas' gimbri (bass lute), oud and guitar with keyboards, trumpet and percussion from three Nordic musicians.

Most of the songs here are traditional with two Bekkas originals and one group composition. The gimbri gives all the tracks a powerful rhythmic foundation, as the other instruments weave and dance around Bekkas' keening vocals, using the spaces to create improvised atmospheres. The longer tracks create intense trance-like effects that invite listening with the mind-altering substance of your choice. ‘Bania’ is a call-and-response with a driving riff and some almost psychedelic keyboards, while the gentle ‘Annabi’ swings along with percussion reminiscent of the balafon. Ultimately, the most impressive aspect of the album is how it creates a coherent, captivating, new sound out of seemingly unconnected elements.