Hassan Hakmoun’s new album Unity takes the ultimate trance music and spices it with jagged, sometimes searing rock guitar and solid rock-oriented drumming along with the usual thicket of hand-drum percussion that typically underpins the Moroccan sintir virtuoso’s work. As fans of gnawa and North African music know, the low-register three-string sintir lute is the funk bass of the Berber world: in Hakmoun’s hands, it’s as slinky as it is mesmerizing. Hakmoun and band are playing the album release show on April 12 at 7 PM at Joe’s Pub; tix are $20.

Hakmoun’s agile hammer-ons fuel the opening track, Zidokan (Just Go), John Lee’s guitar pedaling a chord nebulously in the background over a clattering but hypnotically swaying beat. Then it turns into what could be a mashup of Public Image Ltd., George Thorogood and Moroccan folk music – and in the process sets the stage for the rest of the album. Balili (My Father) sets tightly spiraling sintir and guitar lines – and some unexpectedly boisterous wood flute – to a tight four-on-the-floor snare drum beat. Hamady (Prophet Mohammed) sounds like Hakmoun is playing his trance-inducing, circular riffs through a flange or a wah – or a fuzzbox. Shivery tremoloing guitar lingers way back in the mix before taking centerstage with an unhinged bluesmetal edge, Hakmoun singing in a gruffly passionate baritone in his native vernacular.

Dima Dima (Always) juxtaposes elegantly rapidfire acoustic guitar with the fat, pulsing groove, again bolstered by a steady beat on the rock drumkit and more of that breathless wood flute. Baniy (My Son) veers in and out of hard-hitting, psychedelically tinged funkmetal. Ohio, which aopears to be a shout-out to audiences around the world, is less acidically funky, built around one of the many call-and-response vocal vamps in most of these songs. Boudarbalayi (Saint) begins more slowly, in a more trad vein than the other tracks, before watery Keith Levene-esque guitar and woozy electronic keys enter the picture.

Soutinbi (Makkah) shuffles along on a beat that’s the closest thing to trip-hop here, lightly accented with guitar, electric piano and organ. Hakmoun runs the verses of Amarmoussaoui (People of God) with just guitars and a vocal choir before bringing in the sintir on the choruses: he makes you really miss it! The last of the tracks, Moulay Ahmed (Saint Ahmed) turns out to be the catchiest and most anthemic. The album also includes a couple of remixes, one by esteemed Israeli bassist Yossi Fine, who also produced the album, Hakmoun’s first in twelve years. It’s a vivid approximation of his literally mesmerizing live show.