[1][2] Souleyman specializes in the dabke genre, which is typical at Levantine wedding parties, and his unique take on the genre—known for its electronic, minimalist sound—began to catch the attention of Western avant-garde and club music audiences after being included in bootleg compilations on the Sublime Frequencies label beginning in 2006.

[1][3] Following this, the singer started touring internationally, and his studio debut was preceded by collaborations with established Western acts such as Björk, Caribou and Damon Albarn.

"[4] Much of the publications—among them Spin,[3] Rolling Stone,[4] The Observer,[11] The New York Times,[12] and NME—[10]noted Hebden's production, pointing out that it did not introduce major changes to Souleyman's typical style other than improving its sound quality.

For example, Christgau noted: "As a horrendous conflict wrecks Syria, Souleyman pursues no political agenda whatsoever while reminding us vividly how worked up human beings can get about a life-and-death matter that only occasionally induces them to kill each other — namely, romantic love.

"[3] Writing for Mixmag, Joe Muggs felt that the "horrors of Souleyman's home country throw extra layers of sadness and hope into the mix.