AMG Review of Minaret-Speaker

Ned Raggett
All Music Guide

A seven-inch picture-disc vinyl release encased in a clear plastic cover (the speed is 33 rpm), Minaret-Speaker is a quick but worthy snippet of Muslimgauze. "Arab Jerusalem" takes up the first side; a wordless vocal loop combined with chiming bells familiar from earlier releases leads into a careful blend of a slow bass pulse, acoustic percussion, and haunting keyboards, interspersed with various conversational snippets. It's very much like many Muslimgauze songs from the early 1990s, but with an extra feeling of creepiness to it. On the flip side, "Black Aba" works with a distorted rhythm riding on top of some other loops and some random static blasts, while "Bamboo Bound" consists of a variety of wind instrument loops, sometimes clear and sometimes heavily treated, set against a gentle synth line. As a precis to Bryn Jones in various musical modes, it's a fine little release.