Track A1 sung by members of a religious brotherhood from Al-Ateuf, Saharan region near Ghardaia, Algeria. This track is used by Brian Eno and David Byrne for their track called "Qu'ran" from the album "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" (1981)
Track A2 is a Sufi ceremony performed by members of the Guneydiyah Sect from Fayoum Oasis, Egypt.
Track A3 is recorded in Sanandaj, Kurdistan, Iran.
Track A4 sung antiphonally by two groups of women in an encampment in the south of Wadi Musa, Jordan.
Track A5 is recorded in Tarif, Abu Dahbi, United Arab Emirates.
Track A6 is recorded in Daulatabad, north of Balkh, Afghanistan.
Track A7; Rasha'ida is a nomadic Arabic tribe near Nagfa, northern Red Sea area of Eritrea, Ethiopia.
Track A8 sung by a group of about 20 pearl divers from Muharraq, Bahrain.
Track B1 is recorded in Hyderabad, Deccan, India.
Track B2 is recorded in Beirut, Lebanon. This track is used by Brian Eno and David Byrne for their tracks called "Regiment" and "The Carrier" from the album "My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts" (1981) The artist name was misspelt, it should be written Dunya Yasin.
Track B3 sung by a group of Gadabursi Somali from Jijiga, Harar Province, Ethiopia.
Track B4 ; "Radha" is recorded in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. "Ga's" is recorded in the Fayoum region, Egypt.
Track B5 is recorded in Aqcha, Afghanistan.
Track B6 sung by a Sufi group of about 25 men in the Khalif's mosque in Baghdad, Iraq.
As already mentioned here and there, the LP is possibly one of the most iconic titles sampled in 80's. The track B3 were also used in "Invocation (To Secular Heresies)", an opening track of the album SPK - Zamia Lehmanni (Songs Of Byzantine Flowers). That album contains many samples anyway.
The recordings gathered here were collected in their local contexts, which allows the authenticity of the musical materials to be retained. Even though, some of the tracks, originally in mono, were later electronically processed for stereo, a practice that today can be subject to debate.
Also, some samples from this Islam vocal music release, including, again, the voice of Dunya Yunis, were used in the song "Angel Dust", part of New Order - Brotherhood (1986).
A record of great integrity from the great age of the hi-fi. “Ethnic” music in 1976 was not conscious of its self as it is now; this record therefore is a jewel from an age of innocence. The ambience is intimate and although the fidelity of sound is unremarkable the places and people in the recordings are tangible.