AUDIO KULTUR ISSUE 06 AUG 2014 FREE
02 WORD FOR THE HERD
W
ell that didn’t last long.
Last month, I boldly declared that the mood across the capital seemed lighter, people looked happy and “the prospect of a flawless summer” was on the horizon. This was a prime example that you can always count on Lebanon to make you eat your words. Since then we’ve experienced a handful of suicide bombings, one just five minutes from one of the summer’s most popular venues, and the self-declared Islamic State has intensified its offensive in the country. Oh yeah, and the caliphate is apparently a thing again. We even have a prince. A fucking prince. Looks like it’s more vest than crop top weather. I think that I’m pretty safe in saying that most Lebanese would much rather have the artist formerly known as Prince who was then a symbol, but is now just Prince again, than some mental cunt whose idea of paradise is chilling with a bunch of virgins. And so the parties will inevitably roll on, albeit with impending doom hanging overhead. Already, weekend turnouts were greatly diminished in the aftermath of the Raouche bombing. Summers in Beirut have tended toward the absurd recently. Last year I remember standing in the middle of the Gärten and wondering whether I would be able to see US missiles overhead before they rained down on Syria. A week later I was having a very drunken midday conversation about regional war, techno and some dude reading Mein Kampf while lounging by the pool (never a good look). The mood was heavy and although the party never quite stopped, everyone seemed distinctly trepidatious about the whole thing. And now we find ourselves under quite familiar circumstances. Although for some reason people look a little less anxious, a little less uneasy. Maybe it’s that ever growing sense of apathy. Or maybe it’s all been obscured by the most exciting World Cup in recent memory. Or maybe it’s just the calm before the fucking storm. Whatever it is, I’m pretty bored of talking about it. Keep Your Head Up,
PUBLISHER überhaus
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tres Colacion
MANAGING EDITOR Emma Gatten
ART DIRECTOR Ali Sayed
Tres Colacion Editor-In-Chief
WRITERS
Got something to say? Write us at Junkmail@Uberhaus.me
COMIC
Emma Gatten, Mazin Sidahmed
Gab Ferneiné
TABLE OF CONTENTS 03
04. FEATURED ARTIST: WEHBBA
12. FEATURED ARTIST:
GUNNAR STILLAR
06. FLASHBACKS
& REVELATIONS
14. FEATURE:
ARAB HIP-HOP TAKES ROOT
18. FEATURED ARTIST:
NTFO
22. TUNEAGE
20. FEATURE:
YASMINE HAMDAN
24. THE REVIEW 26. DAS KOMIC
04 FEATURED ARTIST
BRAZILIAN BEATS
Wehbba chats consumer culture and why he’s not about the World Cup
FEATURED ARTIST 05
W
ehbba is Brazil’s dance music ambassador. The São Paulo based selector got his big break back in 2006 and has gone on to release tracks on labels like Bedrock, Tronic and Toolroom. The former dentist (yes, dentist), has produced tracks with the likes of Laurent Garnier, Robert Babicz and X-Press 2. If that wasn’t enough, he’s spent the last several years honing his craft in every city and festival worth name dropping. Often described as a DJ’s DJ, Wehbba knows how to bring it. Anyone who caught his recent gig at the Gärten can attest to that.
AK: How are you coping with World Cup fever? I'm not a big football fan, and I'm not too crazy about this World Cup in particular, although it's a social/sports event, the political implications on its development are far too big to be ignored. There is so much corruption around this that it makes me stay away as far as possible from anything related to the World Cup. I'm chilling in Palma de Mallorca right now and didn't even watch the opening. I hope at least this will serve to uncover all that is wrong in our country and make the people realise they need to vote better next time.
AK: Brazil is going up in the global electronic music scene. What's it like to be in the middle of that?
I was living in Europe a few years ago, and the reason I moved back to Brazil was that I felt something good was going on, and I wanted to be a part of it. In the past five years I think our scene has started to develop on a much bigger scale, more producers are starting to reach the international market, more of the bigger brands are sponsoring events, more specialised professionals are in different entertainment areas around our scene, and I'm glad I've been able to be a part of this process, having successful releases and playing around the globe representing our country worldwide, while all eyes are turning to us. AK: Tell us a bit about the new Brazilian club kids. I think the new generation of clubbers are exposed to
a lot of information, but aren't quite ready to take this all in. I don't feel diversity is very positive for most of the "new club kids", and it's a bit sad to see it, as I was able to experience the first process of "mainstreaming" that our scene went through in the early 2000s, when freedom and diversity were the main aspects of it. Now I feel most kids are just plain [consumers], they haven't quite discovered the joy of experiencing new things apart from media-induced material as if it was an investment, but I suppose with all the efforts from the main events showcasing many different styles and bringing over amazing artists, this should soon begin to change.
AK: What are you listening to at the moment? Who do you predict is going to start making some waves in the near future?
I've been listening a lot to electronic music right now. I used to enjoy listening to different styles to get different sorts of inspiration and also to unwind from the "job", but lately I've been diggin a lot of different things like Agents Of Time, Max Graef, Tom Demac, Recondite, Terranova, Elekfantz, Tale Of Us, DJ Anna, the list goes on…you should all watch out for this kid called Avicii though, he should be making waves pretty soon if my instincts are right ;)
AK: You were a dentist in a past life. If you couldn't be a DJ any more could you see yourself going back?
I don't think so, being a DJ is one part of my career, but my work in the studio is also a major part, and that's probably what I'd be doing if I were to stop DJing for whatever reason. I love spending time in the studio; I have been an engineer for other artists for many years, I would also love to be able to work on soundtracks as well...I don't think that being a dentist is an option anymore for me.
AK: What's the most anti-social thing a fellow DJ can do?
There's many ways people can be impolite or "antisocial" in our job. I've been disrespected a few times by people not talking to me in the booth or starting to set up their gear while I'm playing in a disturbing manner, but luckily enough I haven't had this too many times, and most of them it was people that had no business being this arrogant. Most of the people I look up to who I've had the chance to share the booth with or to meet at events were very nice to me and I'm very happy about that.
AK: What do you like to do after a gig? Go to the after party.
AK: You've worked with a lot of notable people over
the past decade or so of your career. What do you look for in a good collaboration? I look for inspiration. It's an amazing thing when you can bounce ideas off of someone and get inspiration that would be hard to find on your own. I've been lucky to work with amazing artists during my career who have played a big part in shaping my style and helping me develop new skills.
AK: What's the worst context in which you've ever
heard your music? Have you ever had a DJ you don't like use your music? Somebody made a bootleg of a track of mine with an Avicii track, and it felt so wrong! It’s happened many times that DJs who normally play music I don't like, or that's not associated with me, would play my stuff, but I consider it a compliment really; it just means more people will get to know my work, so I can't be unhappy with that.
AK: What's coming up in your future? I've been putting a lot of my time into a new multimedia project of mine, called Edit Revenge. We have our debut release already scheduled on one of my favourite labels, Noir Music, and we've already done a couple of shows in Brazil. I'll also devote most of my time this summer to developing my other project, called Rosco Sledge, which I released last year on 2020Vision Recordings, and there are many releases planned for me as Wehbba as well, including remixes for Dave Angel on Tronic, Lambda on Systematic, Danny Tenaglia on Stereo, Secret Cinema on GEM, some originals on Tronic and Systematic and so on...
CITY:
São Paulo, Brazil
LABEL:
Bedrock, Tronic, Toolroom
WEBSITE:
www.facebook.com/djwehbba soundcloud.com/wehbba
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
Nu Trick EP [Jesus Loved You] Xcellr8 [Craft Music] Mary's Army [Craft Music] Laurent Garnier - Flashback (Christian Smith & Wehbba Remixes) [Tronic] Funk D Void – Diabla (Christian Smith & Wehbba Remix) [Soma] X-Press 2 - Let Love Decide feat. Roland Clark (Wehbba Remix) [Skint]
06 FLASHBACKS & REVELATIONS
FLASHBACKS & REVELATIONS A month of the hottest parties for your viewing pleasure
FLASHBACKS & REVELATIONS 07
BPHOTOS018BY CARL HALAL
08 FLASHBACKS & REVELATIONS
CPHOTOSU NXT SAT BY CARL HALAL
FLASHBACKS & REVELATIONS 09
DECKS ON THE BEACH PHOTOGRAPHER: ZENA SHAHIN
10 FLASHBACKS & REVELATIONS
RUBIK PHOTOS BY: CARL HALAL
FLASHBACKS & REVELATIONS 11
THE GÄRTEN PHOTOS BY VALENTINA LOLA VERA & NICOLAS CARDAHI
12 FEATURED ARTIST
STANDING STILL
Gunnar Stiller on the stalling electronic scene and why he can’t get enough of Beirut
FEATURED ARTIST 13
G
unnar Stiller has been plying his basstinged funk to great success over the past couple of decades. Known for his epic sets the Berliner has become a fixture on his native scene. Pushing his horizons in the past few years he’s made waves internationally, teaming up with the likes of Richie Hawtin, Ricardo Villalobos, Carl Craig, Laurent Garnier and Luciano across the world. AK chatted with him ahead of his appearance at Gärten on July 30.
AK: You’ve been to Beirut more than a few times now. What keeps you coming back for more?
For me, Beirut is one of the most incredible and interesting cities I know! I have a lot of fantastic friends living there. The nightlife scene especially is very exciting, the people are super open to the music and so lovely. It’s something totally special to celebrate parties with the people from Beirut!
AK: You moved to Berlin in your youth. Why do you think the city has become such a destination for both clubbers and producers?
Well, first of all it is so special because of all the great venues and clubs in the city. Every weekend you’ve got international top DJs playing in Berlin. This makes it interesting for clubbers from all over the world. Also, it is not too expensive staying there for a weekend or longer. For artists and producers it’s super cool, because so many of them moved to Berlin in recent years.
AK: As a Berlin native what would you encourage
club tourists to do in the city? Where can they go to experience the real Berlin scene?
Just come for long weekend and take enough time to see and discover our lovely city! I don’t know if there is that 'real Berlin scene' anymore. We have so many great clubs here, where you can grab a bit of the Berlin thing but in the end just go with the flow and you will find your special experience!
AK: What kind of tunes are you really digging at the moment? What trends and new sounds do you see making an impact this summer?
I am not really sure. Everything we have at the moment has been there already in the past. There is not really something completely new. So it is always interesting to see what will come, especially in the summer time.
AK: Barring an early flight, what do you like to do after a gig? What’s your most memorable experience on the road?
Panorama Bar here in Berlin. It was such a special moment for me and I have never been so nervous before any other gig. For all artists from Berlin, it is always a big dream to play one day at Berghain/Panorama Bar. And when you are waiting the years to get the chance, it’s totally surreal when it happens finally. Over the years, you also have really bad nights and sessions, but i think this is part of what you are doing. I normally try to forget as soon as possible and look forward to the next session.
AK: Any advice for young producers looking to break out? What can they do to stand apart from a saturated scene?
Well, just do what you really love to do! Only without putting yourself under pressure will you reach what you are seeking for. Just have fun with the music we all love so much!
Normally, I try to spend some more time with the people in the club. Then it depends on how much time you have left to reach your plane, train or whatever. But it’s always a big help to find at least a bit time to sleep and recover before you have to leave finally. But it’s hard for someone like me, who really loves to hang out with your friends and the people you get to know in a night.
AK: There’s been a lot of talk about rising egos as
electronic music continues to ascend in popularity. Have you encountered this in Berlin or abroad? For sure I’ve already had my experiences with things like that. But I don’t really care about it. I always try to have look at my crowd and feel close to them as well as focusing on the work with the people around me!
AK: You’ve released a bunch of material on Upon.You. What do you enjoy about being on the label? What’s your relationship like with bossman Marco Resmann?
CITY:
I have known Marco and Hawks [Grunert, the label’s manager] for more than 10 years now. So it’s not just releasing on a great label, it’s more a family thing! The same with the rest of our label artists, it’s something very special for me.
Upon.You
AK: What is one gig that you wish you relive again?
ESSENTIAL LISTENING:
I will never forget my first time spinning at the infamous
Berlin, Germany
LABEL:
WEBSITE:
soundcloud.com/gunnar-stiller .facebook.com/gunnar.stiller What’s Said Is Done [Upon.You Records] Sisyphosed [Time Has Changed] Lust [Upon.You Records] Loose Walk [Upon.You Records] Closer EP [Clap Your Hands] South Of The Border [Upon.You Records] Serious Mate [Upon You Records]
14 FEATURE
ARAB HIP-HOP
Arab hip-hop is taking root By: Mazin Sidahmed
FEATURE 15
American and native fans alike have a tough time taking hip-hop from outside the US seriously. Either because it’s in a language they don’t understand, the production value is poor due to lack of commercial revenue, or people simply can’t wrap their heads around the concept of hiphop that’s not made in the country that gave birth to it.
I
t’s tough to make hip-hop in the Middle East. Commercially, it’s one of the few places in the world where you can possibly make a decent living working in the scene. Artistically, artists face constant criticism that they are merely mimicking the West.
Comparative labels are par for the course, as writers and fans attempt to compartmentalize artists. “Oh he’s the Bosnian version of Method Man,” or, “They’re the Senegalese De La Soul.” It’s human nature to seek comfort in the familiar; we rationalize new ideas by comparing them to things we know. It’s undeniable that the Arab world has its own hip-hop culture; one that is held by its adherents to be pan-Arab in nature. Lebanese rappers discuss rappers in Tunisia and Morocco like they live in a neighbouring borough. The narrative that Arab hip-hop was the fuel of the Arab Spring is somewhat convoluted, but rather the Arab Spring seems to have fuelled hip-hop in the region. In the spirit of the Spring, Arab rappers like to view the entire region as one entity that's not divided by colonial borders. But the challenge is to create hip-hop outside of America that’s not bound by these comparisons, given how steeped the genre is in American culture. There’s an argument that the sheer process of making hip-hop outside of the US is enough to make the music its own. An Arab living in Beirut, Cairo or Damascus is making hip-hop that is by definition unique as they can only discuss their personal experiences. Whether or not they are paraphrasing their favourite Eminem lines is irrelevant, the identity is born out of the creator, and not the content.
Jackson Allers, a journalist who has been documenting Arab hip-hop for eight years and is currently writing a book tentatively titled ‘Shiq’ - Arabic Rhymes over Beats argues that Arab hip-hop is inherently unique because it’s made by an Arab in the Arab world, “You are an Arab and you can’t do anything else but channel what it is you’re doing through your perspective. You’re not in America, you’re not in Europe. You’re in the Arab world … Everything is in your context. It doesn’t exist in America.” One of the easiest ways for an artist to separate himself or herself from the American status quo is to rap in their own language. But even this is not quite as simple as it seems. It is one thing to rap in another language, but in order to truly be distinct; the artist has to move away from simply translating the clichéd references used by their favourite American artists in to their native tongues. This is what rapper Nasser Shorbaji, aka Chyno, a member of the Beirut-based group Fareeq El-Atrash, strives for. Chyno raps in Arabic with Fareeq El-Atrash and English during his solo work. He's currently working on his solo album Making Music to Feel at Home, In order to avoid clichéd comparisons, he’s very careful about what references he uses in his raps, and even with his accent. “I try real hard to not have any specific American or British accent when I speak English . I try not to use any typical hip-hop language,” he says. “We have to reflect on different things, even if we’re talking about really normal shit. I would use metaphors of me and this girl separating like Gaza and the West Bank or coming together like Iran and Hezbollah.
16 FEATURE
“When I go to America I always say that all your references for all your raps are usually pop culture whereas our references are politics. That’s our pop culture.” One of the most common tropes that a lot of rappers outside the US seem to fall into is the appropriation of the hip-hop gangsta. Much to the dismay of purists, the story of the hip-hop gangsta has largely been commodified by corporate America. The gangsta character encapsulates the allure of the dangerous urban male who has escaped the ghetto while driving a cream white Buggati and wearing a 700-carat gold chain, all the while maintaining an air of nobility as he abides by the laws of the streets. While this narrative carries an air of truth for a lot of Americans, it has been watered down and packaged, to be easily marketed to the masses. Along with hip-hop, this character has also migrated throughout the world and the story of the hip-hop gangsta has been translated into many languages. Think France’s Booba, Germany’s Bashido or even Saudi Arabia’s Slow Moe, formerly known as Saudi Thug. While we can never know how close their day-to-day lives are to that of 50 Cent’s, it is fair to say that rappers around the world have a more diverse set of experiences to draw from rather than parroting this cliché. This is the key to creating a scene that is truly unique to a region. It's not in translating the broad ideas of the music that inspired them, but reflecting the nuances of their
respective societies.
language, talking about our issues, our struggles.”
Emcees around the world have struggled to avoid looking to the West. Given its relative immaturity in the Arab world, a love of hip-hop often starts with a love of Western hip-hop. Problems emerge when rappers imitate their favorite artists with the hope of being embraced by the West.
One of the strongest tools rappers have at their disposal to distinguish themselves is production. Hip-Hop is a sample-based art form and producers pride themselves in sourcing music from the most obscure places. In hip-hop’s formative years, DJs would peel the names off of their vinyl so nobody would know what they were mixing and producers wouldn’t tell a soul what samples they’d used to make a beat.
Last May, Public Enemy’s front man and legendary emcee Chuck D came to Beirut to deliver a lecture on hip-hop and global culture at AUB. During a sit-down with a select group of emcees at Ta-Marbouta in Hamra, he told rappers not to concern themselves with impressing America. “Never try to impress the United States or try to be like the United States, they don’t even know what they’re doing … I think that the world conversation of hip-hop is mightier and can diffuse that one sided takeover of hip-hop in the United States.” But, says John Nasr, bassist and producer in Fareeq ElAtrash, that doesn't mean not being aware of the genre's roots. “We always have to recognize the people that created it, the people that pioneered it, the people that innovated with it, but since it’s art and culture it can be spread in any way and be re-created and re-produced by any other peoples in the world. Sure we’re not trying to make American hip-hop, we’re not gonna front like that. That’s wrong but we’re making great Arabian hip-hop. In our
In the modern day, publishing rights and Google have eradicated all hopes of secrecy but Arab rappers – like all rappers outside of the US – have the luxury of a rich musical culture that most people outside of this region have never heard. Hassan Dennaoui, aka Big Hass, radio host of Saudi Arabia’s only FM Hip-Hop radio show Laish Hip-Hop, believes that this is where Arab rappers can really make their mark on the culture. “Hip-hop is based on sampling and this is where I see Arabs influencing this culture,” he says. “We as Arabs are not that far from hip-hop given that it is a form of poetry but with rhythms … I know and believe that through sampling of our authentic Arabic jewels, we will be able to reflect our own struggle, our own medium and our own message.” Lebanese rapper Mazen El Sayed, aka El Raas, who has just released his sophomore album Adam, Darwin and the Penguin, believes that hip-hop throughout the Middle
FEATURE 17
East is carving out an array of sounds, “For example, Boyka’s production … [Fareeq El-Atrash] bringing in this folk guitar element … people bringing in oriental sampling with heavy synthesizers and very grounded beats. I think we’ve passed the stage where we’re just Arabizing boom-bap beats and now everyone is trying to find his own thing, and I think this is really one step forward in the evolution.” But regardless of all of these methods, even if you’re rapping in Arabic, using sha3bi references and sampling Feyrouz, will making hip-hop always have an element of imitation? At its core, the artform – the process of rapping over a beat – was not invented in the Middle East, so can Arab hip-hop ever be completely original? Or is attempting to distinguish Arab rap and make it unique a futile endeavour? El Raas doesn’t think so. “In all forms of art there is this imitation. There is nothing completely original that comes from the voice. Even if you don’t do it consciously, you’re influenced rhythmically and lyrically,” he says. “what I try to do is channel my influences and link it more to cultural backgrounds that are more specific to my culture.” When it comes to art, nothing is completely original; every artist is merely an amalgamation of his or her influences. It’s the range of these influences and the way in which the artist combines them that makes their work innovative. Most artists’ journeys begin with them imitating their idols until they grow into their own sound. Allers
believes that when a hip-hop culture sprouts somewhere it goes through a similar process, in a series of stages: “The first stage of it is mimetic, it’s to mime and copy. Then the second stage is your first attempts to making subject matter local and sampling local and then the third stage is you don’t refer to shit that’s going on in the first stage at all, you’ve suddenly appropriated it and your audience isn’t relying on what you do based on your similarities to what happens in America [but as] someone that reflects what they can relate to in their context. That’s how it becomes your own.” Most rappers agree that the Arab world's hip-hop is still taking shape but the future looks bright. El Raas says a generation is now growing up listening to their music that heard about hip-hop through Arab rappers, “A lot of young people now that listen to us actually don’t listen to Western rap. They’re not listening to Arab rap because they were listening to American rap and then it started happening in Arabic, no, there is a whole generation that discovered rap through Arab rap.” Once rappers emerge from this generation who never looked to America as the template but rather idolize hiphop in their language, expressing their own experiences, we may end up in a world where Americans rappers are looking to the Arabs for ideas.
18 FEATURED ARTIST
BREAKING OUT
NTFO are at the start of something big
FEATURED ARTIST 19
N
TFO have recently enjoyed a monumental rise in stature. Romanian born Dani and Robert linked up after meeting at their local club Dolce Vita. Over the years they’ve developed an affinity for the deeper side of house music and have been tipped for success by the likes of Solomun, Marco Carola and Richie Hawtin. We caught up with the duo before their Beirut debut at the Gärten to chat about the Romanian house scene, their fledgling label and the Harlem Shake.
AK: Tell us a bit about the Romanian electronic scene. How much time do you guys spend playing there?
The Romanian house music scene is very diverse right now, you have lots of artists with different styles, from minimal techno to deep-house, tech and trance. We prefer not to play in Romania too often, but when we do, it has to be in our city Timisoara.
AK: How important is it to you to support the homegrown scene?
For us it’s very important to export and support any new talent which gets in touch with us, especially if they’re from Romania or our city. We help them by playing their tracks, putting them in charts or, why not, releasing them on one of our labels, Sintope or Jargon!
AK: Is there a snobbishness among DJs about which scene you come from?
There is a sentence in Romanian: each forest has a bad part. So: yes, there are few but we are trying not to focus on this... it’s not our type.
AK: What makes a bad night? Have you got any horror stories?
A bad night … hmm ... maybe a bad soundsystem, maybe “that crowd” in the wrong place. We think every DJ has a bad experience once a year, sadly for us it has happened already, so everything should be good from now hahah.
AK: What's the strangest request you've ever had on a night?
We’ve been lucky regarding this... we haven’t had any super freaky requests; but one we will always remember: it was in Dubai in a very nice place and it was a track request: “Harlem Shake” or at least one remix of this.
AK: Tell us about your ideal day off. ROBERT: With my girl somewhere in the
has been the highlight so far? Any regrets? The highlight has been each day that we got out from our city; each country and continent we got to visit. Of course we have top 10 events we will remember forever. Regrets … yes we should have started this much earlier, around 2000-2001.
AK: You guys started your own label, Sintope. What do you look for in tracks people send you? What are some upcoming trends that you see?
Yes, Sintope is our baby since 2008 and there we are pushing our friends and some new talents that we feel are cool. We are looking for fresh stuff every time, but also we are looking to have a constant quality in all releases. The trends are coming and going and we are tryng to offer a fresh sound every time, even if we don’t have the biggest names from the scene.
mountains on a lake, not very crowded, away from traffic etc.
AK: What do you miss most from home when you're
DANI: Far, far, far away from the city, a pool, drinks and my girl of course.
Our girls, families and people who are around us each day.
AK: What do you like to do after a gig?
AK: What's the best non-work related thing you've
Breakfast … comes every time right on schedule after we finish. After this is a good sleep, then preparations for next one or the departure to home.
on the road?
bought recently?
Robert: Holiday in August Dani: PS4?! Hahaha
AK: If you weren't DJs, what would you be doing?
CITY:
Something in relation with music, maybe PR or engineering. Nowadays there are a lot of options we could do like label managing (which, actually, we do), agency booking, something like that.
LABEL:
AK: You careers are just beginning to take off. What
ESSENTIAL LISTENING
Jimbolia, Romania Sintope, Diynamic
WEBITE:
facebook.com/NTFOmusic soundcloud.com/ntfo Metropolis (NTFO, Karmon Original Mix) [Diynamic] Composit (NTFO, Karmon Original Mix) [Diynamic] Unudoitrei (Rhadow Remix) [Kiara Records] Ego Mind (Feat. Bjoern Bless) (NTFO Remix) [Fortyone Records] No Satisfaction (NTFO, Rhadow Original Mix) [Jargon]
20 FEATURE
WORLD MUSIC
Yasmine Hamdan is making her presence known By: Emma Gatten
FEATURE 21
"
That's a racist question.” I may have (unintentionally) upset Yasmine Hamdan. Prior to this moment our short chat at Roy's in Badaro has been fairly pleasant. It's early June and Hamdan is in town for a gig at Music Hall and to promote a showing of Jim Jarmusch's hipster-vampire film Only Lovers Left Alive, in which she has a cameo as herself, imagined as an unknown singer performing in Morocco.
In real life Hamdan is actually having something of a big moment. Her debut solo album, Ya Nass came out last year and has been garnering international attention ever since, helped along, no doubt, by the film, on which album track “Hal” appears, written by Hamdan for Jarmusch. Along with the international attention has been the perhaps inevitable positioning of Hamdan as an indie poster girl for the Arab world. She has been hailed as “Arab music's modern voice” by the New York Times, and “a new kind of female musician from the Middle East” by the UK's Telegraph. It's my questions about how she sees such characterisations that draw her somewhat sharp response. “I cannot and don't see myself this way. I don't go there. But these are shortcuts that are sometimes necessary for people in their work,” she says. “But I am very honored and happy and satisfied with everything that's happening to me.” It's not as if Hamdan is trying to run away from where she comes; though she began her musical career writing songs in English, she is passionate about singing in Arabic (in a variety of dialects), what she has called her “emotional language.” But it has led to these inevitable lazy shortcuts, which leave Hamdan and other artists lumbered with an idea of being “Arab artist,” and all that is supposed to mean. “There is no one Arab identity,” she says. “The Arab
identity is multiple, there are such huge and different cultures and also different identities. There is no way of how you are or how you should be an Arab. This is a racist, post-colonial attitude.” “I had to deal with that a lot. You are faced with that,” she continues. “You are projected with an image and people think that you should fit this kind of image.” Really, Hamdan's music is a product of her international background. Born in Lebanon in 1976, she spent her early life in Kuwait, Greece and Abu Dhabi before coming back to Beirut to finish school and then moving to Paris, where she has lived for more than a decade. Her singing career began in the late 90s, as Beirut's modern music scene was being born in the city's post-war era. The trip-hop duo Soapkills, which she co-founded with friend Zeid Hamdan in 1997 remains one of the country's most famous. “The first time I really sang was in front of the public,” she says. “Zeid was doing a concert – he had a band called Long Bricks – and he invited me and I didn't really know the song. I just grabbed the mic and I sang.” Her early influences too, reflect her internationalism. “For different reasons I can identically project myself and identify with Kate Bush, or to Neil Young, or to Sonic Youth, or to Joy Division, or to I don't know, this IraqiKuwaiti singer from the 80s, or to Asmahan, or to Sayed Darwish.” In the end Beirut wasn't enough. She has explained her 2002 move to Paris, where she lives with her husband, the Palestinian director Elia Suleiman, by saying Beirut had begun to feel claustrophobic. Her desire to escape the limits of Lebanon reflects Hamdan's determination and ambition, which have no doubt helped her get this far. “I had to be a bulldog and fight. Because you can be confronted with a lot of colonialist attitudes,” she says. “Not sexist, although you also have a lot of sexism in music. But also a lot of orientalism. But [through] all of this, you have to just go for it.” In those early years Soapkills were part of a group forging a new path in Beirut. “I believe we were the first band that was singing Arabic with this environment. And this was all new,” she says. “We started in an environment where we had no structure. No pubs, no bars, no festivals, no sound
engineers. We're talking about really rock and roll.” If her career has been punctuated by battles, Ya Nass seems to represent a sort of peace for Hamdan, creatively. It's the first time she has worked as a solo artist; her second creative endeavor after Soapkills being the somewhat shaky collaboration YAS with French electronic producer Mirwais Ahmadzaï. “I was ready. I don't think I was before. Because I [now] understood things about music, about myself. I worked a lot on myself. And I understood that I had to take things in hand. I had to take over,” she says. Watching Hamdan on stage at Music Hall Waterfront a week after our interview it's almost hard to imagine she was ever happy to share the limelight. Her moves are so classic rock and roll diva that it comes across a little studied, but she's undeniably captivating, and beloved by her home audience. “It's a very emotional thing for me [to perform in Beirut],” she says. “I started my journey in music here.” But although she might have reached a high point in her career, it's clear that Hamdan isn't going to stop fighting. “If I felt that I'd reached anything I'd be bored and want to stop. I'm always searching for something that excites me,” she says. “I don't know how my next album will be. You start to be tickled and you start to be anxious and doubt yourself. And this is part of the process and it's very important. You just go from one environment to another and you make choices, you find your allies.” And what to do with those doubts? “This is not about me, this is about something that is bigger than me, and that gives me a drive or a sense and has this political, active or social layer,” she says. “And when you have doubts about yourself, you realise you're fighting for something.”
22 TUNEAGE
TUNEAGE TRAUMER
DEDUST EP DESOLAT JULY 7
4/5 French producer Roman Poncet, aka Traumer, may not exactly be a household name just yet, but his Desolat debut is sure to wind up in the sets of some of the scene’s biggest selectors. Packed with eight tracks, the double 12” is a testament to Traumer’s vast skillset. The opening tune “Hoodlum” is bass heavy and has an almost jazz like melody on top of its stripped down drums. Meanwhile b-side “Static Run” takes a hypnotic turn. The two best tracks on the EP are left till the end. “Chord X”, the release’s seventh track, is driven by a barrage of chord progressions and plenty of low end to back it up. “Mobius”, the final track, takes a left turn and envelopes the listener with tripped out synth lines and an almost progressive build. Across the eight track EP Traumer has something for everyone and it’s no surprise that label boss Loco Dice jumped at the chance to sign the Frenchman’s latest work.
CERA ALBA
FRACTURES IN BARCELONA EP TIME EP INDEPTH MUSIC GRUUV JUNE 19 GENETIKAL TWINS
JUNE 16
4.5/5 Cera Alba’s Fractures In Time EP is a record that leaves little space for interpretation. The Leeds-by-way-ofNewcastle born producer’s latest is made for the dance floor, and we’ve got no qualms with that. The title track is a jacking, bass heavy house number. It’s straightforward and full of energy, two qualities that we just haven’t seen enough of as of late. “When You Feel Her” starts off as a quasi Chicago house redux with vocals to match before breaking into a distinctly British bass-laden number. On the b-side “The Raw L” continues the dance party. Amsterdam’s De Sluwe Vos steps up on remix duties and reinterprets the title track as a drawn out, gritty number. Pick this up when it drops, you’re certain to be hearing it all summer long.
2.5/5 Indepth Music’s latest release sees Italian duo Genetikal Twins release a new single complete with a trifecta of remixes. “Barcelona” is a deep, groove-filled number with a minimal tinge. After a few listens the track really doesn’t leave any kind of impression. It suffers, as do so many releases these days, of being … decent. It’s well produced and mastered, but lacks any real sense of creativity or personality. It has a sort of mass produced vibe that would not sound out of place on a Beatport Top 100 chart. However, this does leave a good bit of space for the EP’s three remixers to work with. Beirut duo Ronin & Nesta are first up and look to inject some life into the track with a big bass line. Refresh is next to take a crack, but his effort never really comes off. The skip button comes in handy here. Finally Filippo Vicario steps up to deliver a sultry, darker vibe. The remixes outshine an uninspired original here.
TUNEAGE 23
DARIUS SYROSSIAN
RACHEL LYN
MAT PLAYFORD
SANKEYS MUSIC JULY 26
JULY 16
JULY 6
5/5 At the risk of sounding like a 16-year-old Manc raver, Sankeys is a bit of a dance music institution. With the release of the Sankeys 20th Anniversary Album they inaugurate their own record label. The result is a sweltering two disc release. Disc one sees label boss Darius Syrossian rip through 16 exclusive and unreleased productions. The mix was recorded live at the club and even contains the crowd’s roar, giving it a nice touch of atmosphere. Disc two is a collection of 14 tracks that have come to define the Sankeys sound over the years. In a scene where music is very much about the now, Syrossian channels the recent past to put together a mix that seems to transcend current trends. Buy this record and play it loud.
3/5 Air London is back with upcoming DJ/producer Rachel Lyn’s “Flower Parts” EP. Lyn has been on the rise since her inclusion in Damian Lazarus’s star studded Get Lost Miami party. “Flower Parts” kicks off with the track of the same name. It’s a dark and hypnotic number packed with some serious sub bass. But it fails to make a lasting impression and after a few minutes begins to sound more like filler than an EP’s lead track. “Power Charge” is a more abstract number, but also fails to hit the mark. The original mix of “Citrine” offers a bit more than the EP’s first two tracks. With a menacing sound and some clever drum programing, “Citrine” seems to grow over its eight minute duration. Kris Wadsworth steps up to remix the song but the result is a pretty immediate skip. The EP finishes with “Taxi Dancer”, a digital exclusive.
SANKEYS 20TH FLOWER PARTS TOO BIG TO FAIL ANNIVERSARY EP LP ALBUM AIR LONDON BLACK ROCK 5/5 Mat Playford has been involved in dance music for nearly 20 years. His skill as a producer and ability to seamlessly blend different sounds and genres has garnered him the respect of some of the biggest names in the game. The depth of his knowledge of dance music shines bright on Too Big to Fail. The album’s 11 tracks exhibit a plethora of UK rave influences. From jungle and trip hop to drum ‘n’ bass and ambient house, Playford draws on his two decades of experience to craft an LP with no filler. Each track offers something different to the listener and each track is strong enough to stand on its own. This is the kind of album that you’ll want to own in the physical version. In this day and age of high and fast consumption, especially in the music industry, Too Big To Fail represents something unique in a sea of mass produced commodities.
24 THE REVIEW
THE R REVIEW
amadan is a special time of year for a lot of people. I really like it on account of the plethora of dinner invites and general decrease in horrific traffic that plagues Beirut. There is also the wave of cheap meal deals that flood the country, leaving no billboard untouched. This month we take a look at four places to get the most bang for your Ramadan buck.
KFC 2 BROASTED PIECES, 2 CRISPY STRIPS, SALAD, FRIES, SODA, DESSERT LL16,000
KFC are true veterans of the iftar game. Every year they set loads of believers and nonbelievers alike on the path to late onset diabetes with some of the best specials of the year. This Ramadan is no different. For the low price of 10 bucks you can stuff yourself with two pieces of broasted chicken, two crispy strips, a side of chips and a fucking Krispy Kreme donut (side note - do Krispy Kreme donuts still exist anywhere else in the world?). And, of course, you will get to wash all that down with a large soda of your choice. The kicker? They even throw in a salad. Why the hell anyone would give a shit about eating a salad after they’ve just had a month’s supply of saturated fat is beyond me, but extra points for including a food group outside fat and sugar.
BURGER KING 2 CHICKEN ROYAL BURGERS, 1
WHOPPER, 2 FRIES, 2 SODAS LL20,000 This one may come as somewhat of a surprise. Burger
King never really struck me as a traditional Ramadan player, but the billboards tell a different story. Now I know this might not really be intended as a one-person meal, but I ate the entire thing so I’m counting it as such. I like this deal because sometimes I really can’t decide whether I want a burger or a chicken sandwich. With this I don’t have to face the processed chicken or processed beef dilemma again. Some people might think that two soft drinks is where it all goes wrong, but here I see an opportunity. My suggestion: get Orange Fanta and a Seven-Up and drink them together. Life changing.
THE REVIEW 25
MCDONALDS 4 BURGERS, 9 PIECES OF
McDonalds pretty much invented horrible food that will eventually kill you and this Ramadan they apparently want you to eat a lot of it. If you’re willing to fork over 39,000 McDo will hook it up with a massive box of food that is guaranteed to put you on your ass. One point: has anyone actually seen a 2.25 liter bottle before? Whatever, you’re going to need it in order to wash down all the super-sized goodness. I do find it strange that they skipped the inclusion of the beloved McFlurry. They could have created a special Ramadan McFlurry like the one they did for the Smurfs movie only, like, Jallab flavoured rather than … blue flavoured.
NUGGETS, 4 BASKETS OF FRIES, 2.25 LITRES OF COCA-COLA LL39,000
SHAWARMANJI 4 SHAWARMAS, 2 FRIES, 2 SODAS, 1 CAXIROLA LL30,000
Nothing says Ramadan offer like a World Cup themed Ramadan offer. The Shawarmanji offer earns its inclusion solely based on the fact that it comes with a toy. Not enough things comes with useless toys anymore. Unfortunately, the toy isn’t really a toy at all, it’s like some kind of bootleg Brazilian instrument that was basically meant to be the equivalent of the vuvuzela, but that nobody has heard of. It’s not even half as annoying. The food is pretty standard fare and, again, make sure to follow my signature two sodas trick.
26 DAS KOMIC
DAS KOMIC 27
SAT AUG 16 biel-downtown If you're obliged to reserve call 76 363 662 and hope someone picks up. uberhaus.me