The Slip Up

Irish-Cretan slip-jig. Fusion of Irish and Cretan styles, Irish slip jig form played on saz (stringed instrument like an oud or mandolin), Cretan lyra and bendir percussion lending an Eastern Mediterranean and modal Arabic sound to the uptempo dance tune. Mysterious, tense and energetic; a curious, lively dance of different cultures with a singular, hypnotic sound.

      The_Slip_Up-JPM_version

Cumbus Long Neck

Improvisation on Turkish cumbus, stringed, oud-like instrument. Free-form improviation with runs, ornamentation, repetition and silent pauses, growing slightly faster and more intricate towards the end. Mysterious, intimate and sparse, Turkish and Middle Eastern sounds perfect for a documentary about the region or to accompany a vast, deserted landscape onscreen.

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Bombay

Meditative oud instrumental with male vocals. Upbeat, melodic oud, resembling sitar, repeating melodic ideas with sparse hand drums and intermittent guttural vocals on top, reminiscent of North Indian Classical Music. Plodding yet rhythmic and driving with an improvisatory feel, perfect for a Film/TV scene set in a vast, unfolding Middle Eastern landscape.

      Bombay-JPM_version

Baglama Taksim

Saz or baglama instrumental. Mid-tempo Arabic saz solo, a stringed instrument like a lute or guitar, resembling the Arabic oud, sounding like English folk or American country at times, with a strong Middle Eastern sound. Determined and energetic yet thoughtful and reflective, would suit documentary or TV/Film centered around the Middle East, matching the lively pace of life.

      Baglama_Taksim-JPM_version

Loutar

Improvisation on loutar, an oud-like stringed instrument. Sparse improvised phrases growing to more melodic parts. Hypnotic, melancholy and raw, like the soundtrack to a western movie at first before taking on a North African feel when the melodic sections kick in. Perfect documentary soundtrack.

      Loutar-JPM_version

Cura Saz

Turkish saz instrumental. Improvisatory solo on Turkish saz, resembling the Arabic oud, as well as lute or guitar. Improvisations end on repeated refrains. Melancholy and meditative, bringing to mind desert plains and traditional ways of life, imagine a Spaghetti Western set in Turkey. Perfect folk music for an Arabic or Turkish documentary.

      Cura_Saz-JPM_version

Oud Taksim

Improvisatory oud track. Meandering oud solo, measured and spacious, with pauses full of resonance and contemplation. Expressive, contemplative and meditative, perfect music to accompany a middle Eastern landscape on screen, vast, beautiful and unpredictable.

      Oud_Taksim-JPM_version

Cosmo Volkov

Oud instrumental with ambient sounds. Sounds of flowing water introduce an atmospheric, heartfelt oud solo, and linger in the background throughout. Subtle snare drum marks the end of long, lyrical phrases. Contemplative and reflective with hints of nostalgia, perfect for documentaries set in the Middle East or nature docs panning vast desert landscapes.

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To Quetta

Frenetic, rhythmic percussion over tense, sparse piano chords and Middle Eastern-style melancholy strings and scatterings of oud. Strange, unsettling and sad, suitable for a tense, searching documentary, or disorientating TV/Film scene.

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The Day Before Quetta

Sparse, sombre piano track with scratchy violin and atmospheric oud. Solemn, tense and desolate, an empty landscape, deserted streets, suitable for sad, suspenseful TV/Film dramas, possibly set in the Middle East.

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