Mdou Moctar

TheBig3 · 01-28-2020, 11:06 AM

One of the albums giving me life for decent music being out there in what I'm considering to be a real slump of uninspired noise. I've attempted to explain how I feel about their sound 3 times, but I'm disagreeing with my own positions. Which is not to suggest that this music can't be described, but it does show my own limitations. Here's the link to the full album on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udwL...aVrOOs1Ys7_O1M

**Frownland** · 01-28-2020, 11:10 AM

Big fan here, love his rolling, fluid guitar style. It's like a crossroads between Hendrix with how ****in smoothly he pulls it off and Group Doueh with the stylistic elements.

The new album is intense, but Afelan is my favourite from him. It's a little more traditional but I think it has his best songwriting.

Welcome back, btw.

TheBig3 · 01-28-2020, 11:14 AM

ty ty

I can't describe the guitar. I want to say it's a cross between post-rock and surf rock, as if Explosions in the Sky covered Dick Dale, but it doesn't feel right. How would you describe it?

**Frownland** · 01-28-2020, 11:23 AM

I usually just refer to it as tishoumaren guitar since that's the genre that it comes from, maybe calling it "desert blues" for the unitiated. It pulls from blues, North African folk/dance music, psych rock, and a little surf. Not sure if I detect any post rock in it but I'm not even sure what post rock is anymore, ****'s too ambiguous.

You should check out Horse Lords, they're sort of a math rock variant of this guitar style:

TheBig3 · 01-28-2020, 11:33 AM

I'll give them a try. Thanks!

Inkdaub · 07-22-2020, 07:22 AM

I love Mdou Moctar. He's one of my favorite musicians at the moment. OP is right the music is hard to describe exactly. He plays Tuareg music on an electric guitar and is a great player and has great feel, great presence. There is more to it, though. He is one of those musicians that I rec to people and tell them it doesn't matter what kind of music it is...you just need to hear him play it.

I also like Bombino who plays a similar style and is also from Agadez I think?

01-28-2020, 11:06 AM	#1 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	Mdou Moctar One of the albums giving me life for decent music being out there in what I'm considering to be a real slump of uninspired noise. I've attempted to explain how I feel about their sound 3 times, but I'm disagreeing with my own positions. Which is not to suggest that this music can't be described, but it does show my own limitations. Here's the link to the full album on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udwL...aVrOOs1Ys7_O1M

01-28-2020, 11:10 AM	#2 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	Big fan here, love his rolling, fluid guitar style. It's like a crossroads between Hendrix with how ***in smoothly he pulls it off and Group Doueh with the stylistic elements. The new album is intense, but Afelan is my favourite from him. It's a little more traditional but I think it has his best songwriting. Welcome back, btw. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.* d e a f b o x

01-28-2020, 11:23 AM	#4 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,541	I usually just refer to it as tishoumaren guitar since that's the genre that it comes from, maybe calling it "desert blues" for the unitiated. It pulls from blues, North African folk/dance music, psych rock, and a little surf. Not sure if I detect any post rock in it but I'm not even sure what post rock is anymore, ***'s too ambiguous. You should check out Horse Lords, they're sort of a math rock variant of this guitar style: __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth.* d e a f b o x

07-22-2020, 07:22 AM	#6 (permalink)
Inkdaub Groupie Join Date: Jan 2013 Posts: 18	I love Mdou Moctar. He's one of my favorite musicians at the moment. OP is right the music is hard to describe exactly. He plays Tuareg music on an electric guitar and is a great player and has great feel, great presence. There is more to it, though. He is one of those musicians that I rec to people and tell them it doesn't matter what kind of music it is...you just need to hear him play it. I also like Bombino who plays a similar style and is also from Agadez I think? __________________ If you could see where I've been You'd touch the hand that's touching sin

01-28-2020, 11:14 AM	#3 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	ty ty I can't describe the guitar. I want to say it's a cross between post-rock and surf rock, as if Explosions in the Sky covered Dick Dale, but it doesn't feel right. How would you describe it?

01-28-2020, 11:33 AM	#5 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	I'll give them a try. Thanks!