We do love a challenge. Horny Cricket’s latest album is certainly a challenge, both in terms of sonic direction and lyrical meaning. You see, the New Mexico talent manages to craft material that feels ethereal, fresh, and limitless: as if it was created while floating in the open universe. It doesn’t have a place or a timeline, it just exists, relating only to itself and its sonic character. What’s more, the emotions that the music conveys are very otherworldly, putting the listener in a sort of ‘trance’ – a neutral state of mind where our brains are free to wander the infinities of our consciousness.
In more precise musical terms, ‘istimtā’ – Horny Cricket’s latest effort – builds over heavily synthesised tones, making a virtue of its machine-like vibe. Drawing inspiration from the classics of the 70s and 80s (think Vangelis and Jean-Michael Jarre), Horny Cricket develops a certain eclecticism in the record, at times echoing techno features and hip-hop sleaziness.
Music has the power to unite and transcend borders, cultures, and genres – and that is exactly what Robert K. Beshara’s – AKA Horny Cricket – does. Hailing from Egypt and now based in the US, the talented composer has created an album that takes the listener on a unique and peculiar journey around the infallibility of music. That’s a trip worth taking, in our opinion.
Recommended! Discover ‘istimtā’ on Bandcamp:
