The Spy from Cairo aka Zeb releases his latest album, Arabadub, May 29th on Wonderwheel Recordings. Zeb is Italian by birth, Gypsy by heritage and a New Yorker by residence. Music played a big part in Zeb’s upbringing as his father was a musician and would bring his friends over to play music until dawn. Zeb would stay awake to be a part of the festivities, getting his real education before he even got to school that day. Zeb has been associated with many acts in NYC, including Turntables on the Hudson for close to twelve years. In addition to the Spy from Cairo, Zeb has produced dozens of album under his name and the Organic Grooves Project. He has also remixed everyone from Baba Maal to Tosca to Billie Holliday to Novalima.
Zeb has always appreciated Middle Eastern folk music and Jamaican music. It seems it was only a matter of time before he merged the two distinct sounds into his own organic dub. Zeb didn’t want to make a sample-heavy dub album and instead he decided to play the traditional stringed instruments himself, including the oud, chifteli and saz. He also does all the programming himself, without excessive knob twiddling. Arabadub is the result of a lot of work that pays off. The Spy from Cairo has produced an incredible album that sounds open with space, not suffering from over production or a reliance on keyboards. Right from the start, Arabadub impresses with “Alladin Dub.” The deep bass lines and acoustic strings blend perfectly in a ska-infused opener. The video for “Alladin Dub” is equally as brilliant, with its artistic tribute to the adventures of Prince Achmed. This fine record proves that Middle Eastern and Jamaican music can groove harmoniously in a tight, natural dub. Grab Arabadub at your local record store on May 29th and celebrate the release with the Spy from Cairo at Nublu in NYC on June 7th.
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