NAIVE015 - Hassan Abou Alam - 'It Spills' (previews)

After turning heads with this debut EP for our own naivety sublabel, Hassan Abou Alam is back and more than ready to cement his rep as Cairo’s foremost breakbeat master. This Egyptian lover of all things choppy and rave-y cooks up another epic sonic assault on the ears and subwoofers, designing a crafty and detailed 5-tracker that will not only rattle but stun.

A focused but playful energy runs throughout the entirety of the record, initiating things with the fat beats and the bleep-y bassline of “It Spills”, building towards the X-files atmosphere of ‘Unkindled’ and carrying the vibe on to the B-side for three more cuts of subby, tranced-out alien funk. B-side tracks “Breathe” and “Khamassen” bring on a deeper blend of complex funk patterns, elastic bass and mysterious samples while still moving the dance in the most superlative of ways. Finally, bringing things to sweet culmination, the more rugged and raw beats of final track  “All Used Up” ride along expansive, wide-eyed melodies, resonant acid and a pinch of late 90s surfer-traveller optimism.

All Used Up

B3 Hassan Abou Alam - All Used Up

Khamaseen

B2 Hassan Abou Alam - Khamaseen

B1 Hassan Abou Alam - Breathe

Unkindled

A2 Hassan Abou Alam - Unkindled

It Spills

A1 Hassan Abou Alam - It Spills

Hassan Abou Alam is one of Egypt’s musical exports, steadily publishing his work since 2008 on diverse labels such as Naive, Banoffee Pies, Rhythm Section, Casa Voyager and more.

Since 2008, Hassan has been playing around with his gear, forging multiple live performances. A hard to pin down sound that utilizes analog and digital instruments, a form of organized chaos that he portrays with extreme finesse—his Boiler Room set last year is testament to his genre bending capabilities. Through Red Bull’s RBMA Abou Alam was given a chance to mingle musically with the ancient people of Luxor. The result? A phenomenal live performance in Cairo two years ago fusing traditional folklore with electronica, successfully pinning him as one of Egypt’s most versatile musicians.

His sound as a DJ is constantly evolving, springing to life through the crevices of house, breaks, noise, bass, grime, techno and more.