the black dog & ofra haza - babylon (hanging gardens)

i have been meaning to do an entry about this one for a long time but wanted to get some answers on it before i write about it. like most my fascination with ofra haza started with a little known song called "im nin alu" and it hasn't stopped there.

according to an ofra haza fanpage the project had it's origins in 1994 but for whatever reasons it wasn't realized until '98 when ofra haza, her collaborator/producer bezalel aloni and ken downie (as he was just the black dog at the time).

it was conceived as a project that called for peace in the middleeast and wanted to bring attention to the history of the ancient civilisations, the city of babylon and king hammurabi. there is a whole essay written by downie in the inlay and which you can read if you look on the intarwebs.

to be really honest the original black dog versions isn't that great but they hold a little relevance but it's ofra haza's vocal that carries the tracks and make them work. however the hanging gardens version, done by no other than pete lazonby (most known for "sacred cycles" with it's genesis sample and "wavespeech") is a track that was way ahead of it's time.

it doesn't fit in any genre or folder and for someone that is a pidgeonholer (but believe me, i'm trying not to be) it was impossible to say if this was dub, drum & bass, experimental or whatever. it was just something else and it's relevance is strong in a time where this new offshoot of drum & bass is taking off where the traditional guidelines have been thrown into the bin.

lazonbys vision of the track is a haze of reverbed-out vocals, heavily affected untraditional drumloops & sounds and a repetitive bassline that takes command. all of this glorious madness in a really fast tempo and a progression that goes from one kippenvel to another. if ofra haza's first speaking appearance doesn't hit you with one, the bassline will.

same goes for that lovely melody that comes out nowhere in the second half of the song. it gives a big impression in the last drop of the song where it's soloed and the filters eventually get a hold of it in the frantic haze that is the coda.

i defy anyone to not get this reaction when hearing this song for the first, second or the umpteenth time. it still sends those shivers down my spine like i heard it initially a few years ago.

listen here (grooveshark)