Think of One

If eccentric world music from Antwerp, Belgium is what you are looking for, then halt your search with Think Of One's Camping Shaabi. To say that this collaborative collective is a musical anomaly would be a bit of an understatement, since these musicians travel to different countries to record with various Moroccan and Brazilian musicians. That’s about as unorthodox as it gets, and it sure makes for unpredictable, non-structured, and wholly adventurous music. While Think Of One's free-spirited approach to music is to be commended, you really have to be a fan of this type of music in order to appreciate the scope and the breadth of what the band is doing, or songs like "J'Etais Jetee" will sail clean over your head and feel esoteric. Camping Shaabi clearly isn’t designed for the average or the casual music listener, but for one who wants to be challenged by beats, strings, and arrangements that have origin in other cultures and parts of the world and for those who like amalgams of jazz, reggae, African, and Latin. As a result, Camping Shaabi has a bit of gypsy vibe; you can sense that the musicians here traipsed across the world for their musical education, and then funneled what they learned into this mix. The music invites hip-shaking and belly-dancing in your bare feet; groove is present on "Mon Verre" and "Wereld Ni." Unfortunately, this is for connoisseurs with specific, well-trained palates and it’s not a quickly acquired taste.

— Amy Sciarretto
04.01.08

As time wears on, it appears as though it's becoming increasingly more difficult to come up with a unique spin on rock music. But every so often, an artist comes out of seemingly nowhere to offer a pleasant surprise. Case in point, Think of One and their 2008 release, Camping Shaâbi. Although the group hails from Belgium (the town of Antwerp, to be exact), Think of One certainly has a thing for world music, specifically a style dubbed "Moroccan Shaâbi," which is best described as a form of Middle Eastern-sounding alt pop-dance. However, Think of One manage to put their own unique spin on it, as they inject unmistakable elements of rock into the proceedings, as well as vocals that blend Arabic, French, and Antwerp's own Flemmish dialect together. What you get is a style that works more times than not -- including such standouts as the electro call-and-response opener, "J'étais Jetée" and the moody, slowly building rocker, "Hamdushi Five." Admittedly, there are a few misfires (including the done-to-death rap shtick on "Oppressor"), but if you're a fan of the artists who show up on David Byrne's Luaka Bop label, there's a fair chance that Think of One may be your favorite new band upon discovering Camping Shaâbi. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide