When an ensemble crops up with a name like Acid Arab, an understandable first reaction is to ask oneself: “is this really what I think it is?” The answer is: yes. It really is a Middle Eastern folk/house crossover. Guido Minisky and Hervé Carvalho, the duo behind Acid Arab, are resident DJs at Paris’ Chez Moune. This bundle of tracks is their attempt to try and share their enthusiasm for House and Arabic music. Although the name of the group might be a simple case of ‘say what you see’, (or, more accurately, hear) attempting to fuse these two genres is a far from a facile task.

First of all, let’s address the big, bad, cultural questions. Should we have any reservations about a project which involves sampling musical elements from various Middle Eastern traditions and mapping them on a European sound? Is choosing to capitalise on the current interest in Middle Eastern culture reprehensible when this current fascination is primarily the product of the violent social upheaval and civil conflicts unfolding before us? Some would argue that this collection is an exercise in cultural appropriation.

On the other hand, musical fusion is a process of synthesis. The cross-cultural pollination which occurs as a result of projects like this would never happen if someone didn’t give it a go. Would anyone in the European media give as much coverage to Syrian artists such as Omar Souleyman – see “Shift Al Mani (Crackboy Remix)” – without collections like this? It’s up to the individual to decide where he/she comes down on the cultural traffic in this collection. But it’s advisable to give it a listen before you make any judgements.

As you might expect, on a musical level, the duo pull off this unexpected stylistic melding with almost effortless aplomb. The album is rife with a familiar French glossiness, the texture of “The Cheikh Arrives” by Ettienne Jaumet is slick and shining like motor oil, while flutes dance over driving four to the floor drum beats. DimmiT harnesses the rhythmic simplicity of both House and Arabic folk traditions, just as Mattia subtly weaves Middle Eastern rhythms amongst minimalist House beats in “Surabaya”. This collection does not lack polish.

“Madad” by Hanaa Ouassim and “The Wizard Edit” by Pilooski make their Arabic influences absolutely unmissable. The later drenches and distorts a traditional folk song in spiralling synth, while the former relies on the pounding rhythm of Middle Eastern drumming to carry hazy, psychedelic vocals. The effect of both tracks is unnervingly uncanny.

Acid Arab’s own tracks encapsulate the collection. “Berberian Wedding” is interspersed with singing and sounds of celebration, juxtaposed with menacingly insistent hooks. This dark note of disorientation and the disruption of joyous human voices makes it feel as if this is a track which has something to say. Once again, the judgement on what exactly that might be lies with the listener.

Musically, the whole compilation is daring. But it also shows a subtlety that brings these tracks out of the realm of novelty and forces you to acknowledge their worth as real, enduring cultural objects. As just plain good music.