The Oud is a string instrument from the middle east. Said to be a forerunner of the guitar and lute, this instrument contains no frets, meaning the player has freedom to play any tone they want, unlike fretted instruments (like the modern guitar) which locks it into certain tones. This is advantageous in the context of Arabic music, because it uses tones not present in the western tonal system. This is why this music sounds so different.
In my last post here I spoke about the music of JS Bach, which uses several layers of musical lines to create a cohesive whole. This music uses the opposite approach, employing a singular melody. What it lacks in several music lines, it makes in for in the complexities of the melody at hand. While Bach invokes the sublime through a well oiled machine of moving parts, this music invokes the sublime by way of the weaver, moving to and fro about the notes and sounds, back and forth upon itself in complex patterns in one continuous stream of melody. As your you listen you are drawn further and further into the sound and into your own mind.
Here's a couple great videos of Our performances:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=KyNXeCfPB2Uhttps://youtube.com/watch?v=CcZw2yeKZhoShout out to user Dasein whose comments on my Bach thread inspired me to investigate Arabic music. It's been a good journey.