Boundary-free fans of musical expanse will find a treat in this latest offering from Raz Mesinai, who records under the name Badawi. Known along with DJ Spooky as an illbient pioneer, Israeli-born Mesinai's bicultural turntablism shaped new forms out of traditional Middle Eastern music and hip-hop on 1996's "Bedouin Sound Clash."
"The Heretic of Ether" features strings, percussion, keyboard and voice, with only the occasional sample. In one fusion Sufi music weaves with cello, creating an eclectic revisiting of personal history and observations. Danceable and meditative, with song structures akin to American jazz motifs, "The Heretic of Ether" is absolutely uplifting. It's so right when musical borders drift like sand.
