Sir Richard Bishop and his transcendental guitar are at it once again. This time, the master of strings has decided to focus on a certain form of traditional music and pay tribute to one of his all time favorite instrumentalists Omar Khorshid. The Freak of Araby is an instrumental journey that harks back to centuries old music and Sir Richard's own Lebanese heritage through the use of traditional and modern instrumentation.
At times reminding one of Dead Can Dance at their most middle eastern, Sir Richard has done an outstanding job of creating an atmosphere of a desert marketplace packed with snake charmers, merchants, and crowds looking for bargains and mystery. It's a beautiful record that's filled with mystifying sounds, stunning guitar work, and songs that are enigmatic and exquisite.
Sir Richard has really outdone himself here by mixing the sounds of ancient times with modern production. He's done such a good job that it's almost hard to believe that this was recorded as recently as last year. The Freak of Araby is a magnificent work of intrigue and fascination and by about the third or fourth song, you're mind will have transported you to the desert on an adventure that spans time and space. Instrumental records don't get much better than this and Sir Richard Bishop has done a fantastic job of creating a focused and well thought out record of traditional music.
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