istimtā’ by H**ny Cricket: Album Review

by Damien Reid March 2, 2023

March 2, 2023

H**ny Cricket is led by Robert K. Beshara, a mind-blowing electronica artist with a gifted musical aura. The artist’s roots are in Cairo, Egypt, but as of now, he’s in the US. Their album entitled istimtā’ is astounding, and takes its listeners on a spectacular digital voyage where elements of synthwave, dance, psychedelia, and a bit of jazz are involved. The sound is conveyed through tasty synthesizer pieces, some effects, along with energetic beats.

We begin our electronic journey with “Arroyo de mi Imaginación.” It’s a LoFi-induced tune with a stunning flow. The song has a clean sequence of chiming synths, along with a mellow trap beat tagging along. “Terremoto” is such a vibin’ track, I’d play it on repeat any day of the week for some much-needed R&R. Seriously though, the slow-paced synths and reverbed basslines of this track are such a mood, that it’s tough to ignore its charm. According to H**ny Cricket, this song applies the chord structure of Tyler, the Creator’s “EARFQUAKE”, albeit a jazzier rendition of it. On a side note folks, you should know that H**ny Cricket has also been involved in successful film score pieces! Pretty impressive, especially for a screen junkie like me.

Beshara composed the entirety of the album, however, the track “Frère Jacques” is a fitting tribute to legendary french composer Jean-Philippe Rameau. Beshara’s synthwave version captures the ambiance of the original, and adds a bit of celestial flair to it!