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Baker's Dozen

A Baker's Dozen Special! Acid Arab's Guide To MENA Bangers
Jeremy Allen , December 4th, 2019 15:32

Jeremy Allen sits down with Acid Arab for a whirlwind tour through their essential belters from the Middle East and North Africa

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DJ Ismail - 'Oscuro' (Rinse)
Guido: The music of 3Phaz has always been incredibly surprising. This particular track manages to combine the heat of the percussion and the coldness of an underground basement. 3Phaz and DJ Ismael is the same person. We met him playing in Cairo five years ago; he's this amazing producer doing futuristic mahraganat - another word for Electro Chaabi. It was a long time ago but it was very exciting for us to be a part of this Egyptian party. We were the only non-Egyptian artists playing that night.

Hervé: It's typical music from Cairo, but he's taking it to another level where it's more futuristic. He's doing a kind of techno which is not looking so much to the occident or European techno. He doesn't want to do the same, he wants to find his own electronic way of doing music.

Guido: He used belly dancing percussion but then he added something very dark, this long wave of dark sounds, and the mix becomes something unique. We've played this track I don't know how many times and it's always really crazy.