| · The backing tracks are collected on a separate disc – for easier listening.
Conceived, written and narrated by Grant Wakefield – and with backing tracks by electronic artists like Orbital, Pan Sonic and Aphex Twin – The Fire This Time focuses on the last 30 years of the West’s tumultuous relationship with Saddam Hussein and Iraq. It is not an easy listen – Wakefield pulls no punches. While the diplomatic manoeuvring that led to the first Gulf War is presented with calm narration, the war itself is depicted through an aural onslaught of music and sound bites. Even though the final third of the disc is slower and quieter, its portrayal of the post-war lives of the Iraqi people is the most gut-wrenching section of the record.
You need to listen to this album, but take it in small chunks to avoid being overwhelmed by its sheer force. Listening to the whole thing in one sitting left me stunned and silent – but, hopefully, also a little more aware.
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