Mixtape: A Sonic Mosaic of the Arab Electronic Scene. 1990’s - Present
WORDS BY Azmi Haroun
This mixtape weaves a sonic mosaic of Arab regional and diaspora artists and producers involved in moulding underground and alternative electronic scenes since the 1990s, in the Arab region and globally.
The compilation features an Arab-French touch via DJ Mehdi, NY house infused by Armand Van Helden and Peter Daou, Gulf legends like Fatimah Al Qadiri, and the new school pushing frequencies; all the way to Detroit pioneers like Meftah and Tammy Lakkis, Toumba in Amman, the powerful footwork of Khadija Al Hanafi, and the darker, brash synthesised expressions of electro-chaabi in Egypt and electro-dabke from the Levant.
Genre-rich and adverse to mainstream slop in nature, this playlist is like an electronic Arab brain massage. It’s a testament to local and diaspora artists shifting the popular groove wherever they set roots, and honing the ever-evolving spirit of Tarab ever since Casio keyboards and drum machines began to spread.
About the author:
Azmi Haroun (aka Azmito) is a Syrian-American DJ, journalist, immigrant rights advocate and producer living in Seattle, Washington. Having spent time living in Morocco, France, LA and NY, and as a lifelong musician, he has collected a groovy and eclectic archive of dance music past, present, and future from around the world. As a music journalist, he has interviewed the likes of disco legend and innovator Nile Rodgers, and Syrian visionary clarinettist Kinan Azmeh, and has helped organize a mega-concert with Malian virtuoso Salif Keita in Fana, Mali, in 2018. Having recorded vinyl and digital mixes on NTS, Particle FM and with Humano Studios, Azmito’s sets and mixes are locked in a fluid groove of jazzy leftfield, house, techno, global disco + funk, percussive electro-arab elation, sharing his sounds with dancers and party people in Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago and Egypt so far.
