This late-period
Muslimgauze release is a showcase for
Bryn Jones' fascination with dub. Slow rhythms, spacious production, and a minimum of harsh noise make
Syrinjia one of the more accessible
Muslimgauze records, and the echo, delay, and flanging effects throughout "Sitaram Sharma" and "Amira Kadal Srinagar" suggest
Jones learned well from the Jamaican masters. The beats in tracks like "Holy Man" and "Moon Guitar" even have a bit of a hip-hop flavor, further upping the listenability quotient for
Muslimgauze newcomers. Unfortunately, this being a limited edition (only 950 copies were pressed, on LP only), it seems likely that
Syrinjia is heard primarily by the small cult of
Muslimgauze obsessives. The lucky few will find
Jones in ambient mode on "Walroo Dalak," maneuvering static, clicks, and ancient electronic bleeps around the space to spooky effect. Tracks like "Rashid Jag Deep" and "Detrimental" show that
Jones was a wizard at transforming a small number of sounds (a tough drum loop, fuzzed-out bassline, and a sample or two is usually all he needs) into music with heavy impact. The sheer force behind these grooves, even though they tend to be of the blunted, head-nodding variety, is astounding. It seems a fitting tribute to
Jones' memory to play them loud.