The Scimitars-Desert Tales

 

Recently, I was on the nearby Gila Indian Reservation and glanced out to the vast expanse of the desert and re-realized all its majestic glory and its stretch out to the sea. In a similar way, Desert Tales is able to encapsulate and evoke the expansive mystique of the desert and connect it to the coast with its churning surf and Middle Eastern instrumental sounds. The Scimitars achieve takeoff by negotiating these cross-currents and finding the tricky balance between surf music’s guitar-driven melodic song-orientation and the fluid and open-ended nature of Middle Eastern music.

Electric Bağlama/Saz

The key differentiator in their sound is the electric Bağlama Saz played by Ran Mosessco, who also composed and arranged all the songs. The songs display Mosessco’s versatility with a variety of instruments along with alluring pull of his songcraft. Jonpaul Balak’s bass forms the backbone of their sound and provides a thick low-end rumble, while the Darbuka hand drums and the Sarangi accent the mesmerizing and intricate fretboard framework. 

The record was mastered by grunge-meister Jack Endino, but this particular stack of fierce and searing sounds lean more towards Link Wray than any Seattle sludge. The opener “Port Saiedy” arrives like a whirling helicopter with its pulsating percussion and blade-like guitars slicing the air. Seemingly inspired by Morricone, “Damascus Steel” melds the Middle Eastern to the Spaghetti Western with bass lines that go “8 Miles High.” As the song title indicates, “Marquis de Saz” prominently features the electric saz. A more resonant tone is instantly achieved with the switch to the Turkish national instrument. “Taverna” is a surging and striking Greek-inspired number that combines dashing hand drums and a serpentine melody. While their wide array of instruments are played mostly in a straight-ahead traditional manner, “Into the Catacombs” departs into a more experimental direction with its dissonance. Where will this adventurous group head next? 

2023 single

Desert Tales covers the spectrum from immediately captivating numbers to more slow-burning atmospheric affairs. Further, the Scimitars achieve an all-encompassing sound that washes over listeners, while also transporting them from disenchantment to enchantment. With these overlapping sounds, the Scimitars have extended the range of surf music out to the lands of the shifting sands. 

The Scimitars-David Berner (Guitar, Sarangi), Ran Mosessco (Electric Saz, Guitar)
 Jonpaul Balak (Bass) Pablo Baza (Drums) Rogelio Corcolis (Darbuka Hand Drums)