Muslimgauze: Chasing the Shadow of Bryn Jones is a biography on the late Bryn Jones, a Manchester, England-based musician who produced nearly two hundred albums (some were multi-disc sets) between 1982 to 1998 and passed away aged 38 in 1999. Though the majority of his catalog is instrumental, his music is considered controversial by some where some retailers who went so far as to ban selected catalog items. An anti-colonialist at heart, Jones dedicated most of his music to Muslim-world struggles during his lifetime such as Soviet-occupied Afghanistan, the Iran/Iraq war, and the Lebanon civil war, to name a few, with an emphasis on the Israel/Palestine conflict. Jones was pro-Palestinian, often evidenced on album and track titles as well as dedications. It was the albums dedicated to the struggles of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) that resulted in the mentioned ban.

Muslimgauze music can be considered a sonic treatise on Muslim-world conflicts in the form of exotic soundscape narratives, driving musical protest and rhythmic assertion. As a side effect of being prolific, Jones worked in a variety of styles and successfully melded traditional ethnic music of places he championed with Western urban stylings such as techno, breakbeat, and dub. Some credit him as being the ‘Godfather of Dubstep’, the current musical rage. Perhaps Jones’ musical brilliance shone brightest as an audio editor who deftly juxtaposed unlikely sounds in ways that now cannot be envisioned otherwise. Others simply consider his music ‘not of this world’ and ‘not of this time’. The book is divided into three sections; biography, posthumous narrative, and discography analysis.

The biography of the late Bryn Jones is comprised of a quilt of narratives from friends, family, and collaborators. Letters, articles, and interviews provide further insight into Jones, who was otherwise reclusive and highly secretive. The book also delves into each Muslimgauze musical release and its attendant (text, album and track titles and dedications) sourced. To experience Muslimgauze music is to be educated on Western foreign policy, resource greed and push for regional domination behind much of the conflicts. If Colonialism is a disease, then within this disease is part of the cure.

Section two is a first-person narrative by the author who went to the UK to interview friends, family, and collaborators to see what happened. Years after Jones’ passing, Muslimgauze is as prolific as ever with posthumous yet-to-be released material still in the works as of this writing. This narrative is set on the backdrop of even more Muslim-world conflicts, once distant in the news during Jones life and now cause for concern all over the world as the struggles are brought to our doorsteps. Now more than ever, we must learn about the issues Jones railed against in his lifetime.

Section three attempts to grapple with the staggering catalog of Muslimgauze music and organize it in a comprehensive way. This section may be of special interest to those not completely familiar with the musical oeuvre.

Informations

The biography of Bryn Jones alias Muslimgauze, is available since late april 2014.

208 pages book with a supplementary Muslimgauze CD-Compilation released in collaboration with Soleilmoon recordings 'A Putrid Oasis' ranging recordings from 1987-2003.
A4-Sized and pantone-colour-printed, artpaper-bound and concealed as well as embossed hardcover book. The concept and production of the box set is a collaboration between Yuen Kim Wah of Ultra-Mail Prod. and Frank Maier of VOD-Records.

2 editions :
- The book & the CD compilation (limited edition of 400).
- The book + 10 LP in a Book-like Folder-Set with complete Muslimgauze Recordings from 1983-87, housed in an extra holder + CD compilation. (limited edition of 600)

Muslimgauze 10LP set sold out! Get your copy of the limited book and CD version before they are gone too! Get the book at VOD

Ibrahim Khider, author

Ibrahim Khider is a writer for publications on-line and print. He is mainly published as a music journalist since 2000 by the likes of Exclaim! (Canada’s Music Authority), Perfect Sound Forever, The Globe and Mail, and Readings for Technical Communication (Oxford Canada), among many others. Ibrahim Khider also writes press releases for bands and musicians as well as bios. He is also credited as researcher, such as the 2012 documentary on the Syrian conflict by Cultures of Resistance, The Suffering Grasses: When Elephants Fight, It is the Grass that Suffers. Ibrahim Khider constantly hones his craft as a journalist, essayist, fiction, and creative-nonfiction writer.

We are pleased to assemble a team of first-rate designers who organize this considerable amount of research into a highly palatable way.

Simon Crab, creative director

Simon Crab is a multi award winning creative director and surpassing designer who captained this massive project design to the shores of completion. Not only does Crab’s insights elevate this biography into a work of art, it brings depth to the work as a whole. Crab knew Bryn Jones personally, while the latter was a visual artist with aspirations to music. Crab was there as both witness and supporter of the nascent talent. This background factored into the design and to observe its subtleties is to attain a greater understanding of the topic. Simon Crab is something of a creative force. He founded Bourbonese Qualk, an underground electronic/ethno/industrial/no-wave/post-rock/gabber-techno band, is one half of the abstract-electronic Sunseaster, and is part of traditional music ensembles such as the gamelan orchestra of London. Crab is also a passionate human rights activist, philanthropist, humanitarian volunteer and busy parent who manages to keep the juggling act of life both in the air and rhythmically moving.

Eric Kessel, layout and design

Eric Kessel is a New York-based artist and graphic designer with one foot in experimental art and culture and the other in commercial design. He is also co-founder of Electro-Faustus, a company that manufactures "noise devices", Theramins, and drum machines among other nifty, noise making gadgets. If that were not enough, he produces experimental drone music as Caaldruun. A music enthusiast from a young age Kessel has strong punk roots and a keen DIY ethos. He caught the electronic music wave of the mid 90‘s where he was swept by the likes of Mick Harris and ultimately guided to the maelstrom that is Muslimgauze. Kessel now brings his experience and expertise to assemble a gorgeous layout that harmonizes text and image into a comprehensive narrative. For the past couple of years, Kessell has lived and breathed Muslimgauze as he worked closely with the author to bring together the most comprehensive narratives on Muslimgauze ever assembled.