Representing his Najdi Bedouin roots and residing in the West Coast of Saudi Arabia, the aptly named DesertF!sh makes his debut on Thawra Records with a 4-track EP including a remix from label friends Pomme Rouge.

An audio-visual artist, music producer, DJ & Live Performer who is always in pursuit of quality sound in the studio, and on the stage, Nasser Alshemimry has been a key member of the Kingdom's limited yet booming electronic music and arts scene. With several releases to date and a plethora of prestigious commissions and art installations in the audio visual arts medium, including commissions by Misk Art Institute and Ithraa World Heritage Center groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of Imogen Heap, the Saudi audio pioneer has rightfully earned his stripes and has proven to be a creative force to be reckoned with, in the Gulf region and beyond.

With this stellar portfolio, Nasser focuses on his sonic exploration of the dance-floor, and graces Thawra records with his latest Complex Arguments EP, showcasing his dance music affinities with 3 original tracks that offer a pristine deep-house energy, with melodic twists and turns crafted from dreamy analog textures. With a cherry on top, Nasser delivers his own artwork and artful music video for Complex Arguments, highlighting his multimedia talent and wholesome vision, while Beirut-native duo Pomme Rouge generously contribute a breakbeat rework of the title track, adding an exciting flavor to the release.

Complex Arguments by DesertF!sh
Produced & mixed by Nasser Alshemimry
Remix by Pomme Rouge
Mastered by Ziad Moukarzel
Artwork by Nasser Alshemimry
Released on Thawra Records

DesertF!sh - Complex Arguments EP (incl. Pomme Rouge Remix)

A prominent musician, composer, producer, and our Thawra Records founder, Etyen @etyenmusic has rightfully earned the title of “wizard of Electronica”, given the artist’s endeavors and achievements over the last decade. Internationally recognized for his forward-thinking musical approach, and a genuine and diverse body of original musical work that has often challenged genre-classification, Etyen has received honors as a Red Bull Music Academy and OneBeat alumnus, performed at the likes of Sonar Barcelona, Mutek & RBMA Montreal, to name a few, becoming a central figure in his local scene with his consistently engaging musical output & continued involvement in nurturing and celebrating music culture, community, collaboration & authenticity. 

Now almost a decade after his first foray, Etyen releases his debut full-length album “Untitled”, a 10-track LP that is at once dreamy, nostalgic, meditative, anxious & melancholic, effortlessly bridging the gap between Electronica and songwriting, expertly fusing the organic with the inorganic, and like much of the artist’s work, is accompanied by a heavy dose of emotions.


While echoing an underlying theme of love and human connection, the album fundamentally poses a philosophical question, reflecting on the ‘dispositional’ nature of human existence, versus the ’fundamental’ part of our being - the untitled part of ourselves, common to one and all, free from cause & consequence. Each song stems from a state of profound introspection, reflecting on the defining moments that shape who we are as time inevitably flows through, and is inspired by Etyen’s own experiences as an Arab person born and raised in Beirut, with a multifaceted cultural background and inherent dual identity that has been shaped by inner & external conflicts, the loss and the grief, but also by the friendships, the connections and relationships created across time and space. This idea is directly paralleled by the creation process of the album, having been written, recorded & produced across three continents over six years, in bedrooms, hotel rooms, make-shift studios & in nature. The album features the artist’s own performances on guitars, vocals, piano & synthesizers, with warm textures and a unique production approach that incorporates found sounds, capturing elements of the environment at the time of creation, highlighting the unique nature of the specific moments which have shaped the album and the artist himself.

From this perspective, “Untitled” can be seen as a personal existential study & diary, examining the nothing whence emerges everything and everyone, documenting the moments of great impact, drawing from the artist’s own experience but resonating far beyond, with a message that ultimately relates to the common experience of every human being in the universe. 

Untitled LP by Etyen

Written & produced by Etyen
Vocals, Guitars, Keys & Electronics performed by Etyen
Mastered by Lopazz
Artwork by Hannah Devereux
Released on November 22, 2022 on Thawra Records

Stream / Download

Etyen - Untitled LP

Global artist collective Found Sound Nation (@found-sound-nation) & Lebanese independent label Thawra Records are proud to present a 3 part co-release highlighting a series of collaborative works inspired by meetings that took place in the summer of 2021, during FSN’s OneBeat Lebanon music residency. Against the backdrop of a “post-apocalyptic” Beirut landscape, as the city was reeling from the collective trauma of the devastating August 4th blast and the collapse of the nation, these artists found solace in one another and their shared creative expression.

The series brings together Lebanese, Syrian, Palestinian & American musicians, and is at once a celebration of cultural diversity and unity, while serving as a form of collective therapy and a statement of existence to a community of artists who have, against all odds and despite the trauma and the challenges, continued to create. While each release is unique in its style and genre, all three embody engaging themes that intuitively touch upon the collective traumas and injustices echoed across the region. Themes that challenge cultural identity and reflect the tumultuous and multifaceted experience of the modern Arab person, that relates to all marginalized, censored and oppressed peoples. With this series, we aim to celebrate and nurture a thriving musical community, still breathing despite the grief, and that has a lot to say and even more to offer.

Thawra Records x Found Sound Nation Release Series

Etyen @etyenmusic announces second solo album My Goddess, out May 30 via Thawra Records with vinyl distributed by Cargo Records UK.

A deeply intimate and cinematic body of work, My Goddess unfolds as a self-contained emotional universe; an album about grief and the enduring human urge to find beauty in a world that often feels unrelenting.

Composed against the backdrop of Lebanon’s ongoing political and economic collapse, My Goddess captures what it means to process personal heartbreak and collective trauma simultaneously. Across eight emotionally charged tracks, Etyen draws from profound loss, existential reflection, and the tragic death of his beloved cat Lucy to craft a record that is as fragile as it is resilient; both a personal reckoning and a universal portrait of survival through art. “This album is a conversation with myself. It’s about loss and grief, about finding beauty and trying to hold on to it,” says Etyen. “It’s about confronting the painful parts of life while still believing there’s something gentle and divine to hold onto.”

Blending cinematic textures, Etyen's unique and inspired electronics, and minimally sculpted yet immersive melodies, My Goddess pushes further into the raw introspection first glimpsed on Etyen’s 2022 debut album Untitled. But this time, the sonic architecture is more distilled, the emotional stakes more immediate. The result is a record that gently lingers in the spaces between memory, absence, and hope.

With over a decade of work that spans Netflix scores, international festivals (Sonar Barcelona, Mutek), and critical acclaim and editorial support from Bandcamp Daily, BBC Radio and much more, Etyen has carved out a singular voice in electronic music - bridging personal, cultural and political resonance through sound. As the founder of Thawra Records, he also continues to champion independent artists from the region, building a vital platform for forward-thinking music in and beyond the Arab world.

My Goddess will be available on all digital platforms and as a limited-edition vinyl distributed via Cargo Records UK.

Digital + Vinyl

Etyen - My Goddess LP

@tryangleman
@thawrarecords

Our next release is a special label debut of the enigmatic Tryangle Man, presenting his new EP Altalune, a 3-track journey through ethereal, emotional and captivating Electronica soundscapes, with a masterful and gentle quality reminiscent of artists such as Bonobo, Olafur Arnalds and Max Cooper.

Opting to mask his identity, there's not much we can say of the elusive Tryangle Man, him preferring to allow the music to speak for itself. And oh how sweet is the sound. A quick glance at his extensive catalogue of work and it is clear that "T-Man" here possesses a hyper intelligent and creative musical outlook with a level of artistry that grows more masterful with each release. 2021 sees the release of his new album and this gem of an EP that luckily has fallen into our grasp.

Without further ado, we're stoked to present the beautiful and mesmerising "Altalune".

Altalune by Tryangle Man
Composed & produced by Tryangle Man
Mastered by Ziad Moukarzel
Artwork by Tryangle Man

Tryangle Man - Esmeray

Tryangle Man - Neoma

Complex Arguments EP

DesertF!sh - Problem Solving

@rommepouge provide an exciting remix of the title track from @desertfishhq's ep.

'Representing his Najdi Bedouin roots and residing in the West Coast of Saudi Arabia, the aptly named DesertF!sh makes his debut on Thawra Records with a 4-track EP including a remix from label friends Pomme Rouge.

An audio-visual artist, music producer, DJ & Live Performer who is always in pursuit of quality sound in the studio, and on the stage, Nasser Alshemimry has been a key member of the Kingdom's limited yet booming electronic music and arts scene. With several releases to date and a plethora of prestigious commissions and art installations in the audio visual arts medium, including commissions by Misk Art Institute and Ithraa World Heritage Center groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of Imogen Heap, the Saudi audio pioneer has rightfully earned his stripes and has proven to be a creative force to be reckoned with, in the Gulf region and beyond.

With this stellar portfolio, Nasser focuses on his sonic exploration of the dance-floor, and graces Thawra records with his latest Complex Arguments EP, showcasing his dance music affinities with 3 original tracks that offer a pristine deep-house energy, with melodic twists and turns crafted from dreamy analog textures. With a cherry on top, Nasser delivers his own artwork and artful music video for Complex Arguments, highlighting his multimedia talent and wholesome vision, while Beirut-native duo Pomme Rouge generously contribute a breakbeat rework of the title track, adding an exciting flavor to the release.

Complex Arguments by DesertF!sh
Produced & mixed by Nasser Alshemimry
Remix by Pomme Rouge
Mastered by Ziad Moukarzel
Artwork by Nasser Alshemimry
Released on Thawra Records'

DesertF!sh - Complex Arguments (Pomme Rouge Remix)

'Representing his Najdi Bedouin roots and residing in the West Coast of Saudi Arabia, the aptly named DesertF!sh makes his debut on Thawra Records with a 4-track EP including a remix from label friends Pomme Rouge.

An audio-visual artist, music producer, DJ & Live Performer who is always in pursuit of quality sound in the studio, and on the stage, Nasser Alshemimry has been a key member of the Kingdom's limited yet booming electronic music and arts scene. With several releases to date and a plethora of prestigious commissions and art installations in the audio visual arts medium, including commissions by Misk Art Institute and Ithraa World Heritage Center groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of Imogen Heap, the Saudi audio pioneer has rightfully earned his stripes and has proven to be a creative force to be reckoned with, in the Gulf region and beyond.

With this stellar portfolio, Nasser focuses on his sonic exploration of the dance-floor, and graces Thawra records with his latest Complex Arguments EP, showcasing his dance music affinities with 3 original tracks that offer a pristine deep-house energy, with melodic twists and turns crafted from dreamy analog textures. With a cherry on top, Nasser delivers his own artwork and artful music video for Complex Arguments, highlighting his multimedia talent and wholesome vision, while Beirut-native duo Pomme Rouge generously contribute a breakbeat rework of the title track, adding an exciting flavor to the release.'

Follow: @desertfishhq // @thawrarecords

Premiere: DesertF!sh - Complex Arguments [Thawra Records]

Submit your track, mix for repost or premiere? ➩promo@8day.ca
Stream our Playlist on Spotify: bit.ly/8daymtl ♩ ♪ ♫ ∞ ♥

RELEASE DATE 2021-05-27
Buy link: 👉 http://thawrarecords.fanlink.to/complexarguments  👈

☁️ ☁️ Follow the record label > @thawrarecords
www.facebook.com/thawrarecords
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www.thawrarecords.com/
www.instagram.com/thawrarecords/

☁️ ☁️ ☁️ ☁️ Follow the artists > @desertfishhq
https://www.youtube.com/user/DesertFishHQ
https://www.instagram.com/desertfish_

Release info:

"Representing his Najdi Bedouin roots and residing in the West Coast of Saudi Arabia, the aptly named DesertF!sh makes his debut on Thawra Records with a 4-track EP including a remix from label friends Pomme Rouge. An audio-visual artist, music producer, DJ & Live Performer who is always in pursuit of quality sound in the studio, and on the stage, Nasser Alshemimry has been a key member of the Kingdom's limited yet booming electronic music and arts scene. 

With several releases to date and a plethora of prestigious commissions and art installations in the audio visual arts medium, including commissions by Misk Art Institute and Ithraa World Heritage Center groundbreaking collaborations with the likes of
Imogen Heap, the Saudi audio pioneer has rightfully earned his stripes and has proven to be a creative force to be reckoned with, in the Gulf region and beyond. With this stellar portfolio, Nasser focuses on his sonic exploration of the dance-floor, and graces Thawra records with his latest Complex Arguments EP, showcasing his dance music affinities with 3 original tracks that offer a pristine deep-house energy, with melodic twists and turns crafted from
dreamy analog textures. 

With a cherry on top, Nasser delivers his own artwork and artful music video for Complex Arguments, highlighting his multimedia talent and wholesome vision, while Beirut-native duo Pomme Rouge generously contribute a breakbeat rework of the title track, adding an exciting flavour to the release. Complex Arguments by DesertF!sh 

Produced & mixed by Nasser Alshemimry
Remix by Pomme Rouge
Mastered by Ziad Moukarzel
Artwork by Nasser Alshemimry
Released on Thawra Records"


▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
All 8day premieres:
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All Free Download:
https://soundcloud.com/8day-montreal/sets/free-download

Releases Out now on 8day's imprint!
https://www.beatport.com/label/8day/63082

Buy / Stream

PREMIERE: DesertF!sh - Latent Space (Original Mix) [Thawra Records]

Palestinian traditional Arabic singer Salwa Jaradat & Lebanon’s wizard of Electronica Etyen come together for the 2nd release in the Thawra Records & Found Sound Nation co-release series, presenting their 2-track collaborative EP “Galah Waji”, developed during the OneBeat Lebanon music residency, and exploring the themes of mother-tongue, and the use of coded language & symbols in folklore, as a way of resistance against censorship and oppression; themes relevant to the common experience of both artists in their native countries.

Fleeing conflict and oppression in her native Palestine, Salwa Jaradat migrated to Lebanon almost a decade ago, and has become an integral part of the fabric of the local traditional music culture, performing avidly with a number of traditional orchestras and alongside renowned Arab artists and musicians. While this collaboration marks the first non-traditional experiment for the Palestinian native, Etyen however is no stranger to the modern music industry, and has earned the title of “wizard of Electronica” in his local scene since his first foray back in 2014; a fitting title given the artist’s endeavors and achievements over the last decade. Internationally recognized for his forward-thinking musical approach, Etyen has received honors as a Red Bull Music Academy and OneBeat alum’, to name a few, and has performed on three continents, including at Sonar Barcelona, Mutek, and RBMA Montreal festival among other notable appearances.

With “Galah Waji”, the pair each explore their new uncharted territories, marrying the futuristic with the traditional in a clear juxtaposition that embodies the duality of the modern Arab identity. 

Galah Waji by Etyen & Salwa Jaradat
Produced by Etyen
Mastered by Christopher Botta
Artwork by Amy Chiniara
Released on Thawra Records & Found Sound Nation © 2022

Etyen & Salwa Jaradat - Ensa El Khellani

Etyen & Salwa Jaradat - Galah Waji

“What does Beirut feel like in this age of madness? Crisis upon crisis, blow after blow.... economic collapse, oppressed uprising, global pandemic, world-scale explosion, I think we've become a bit numb. And a bit mad, ourselves.”

For the third and final release in the ‘Thawra Records & Found Sound Nation’ co-release series, 4 expert musicians join forces to present the collaborative project “Baada Ab” (“After August”), a “super-group” of musicians formed by Mayssa Jallad (Safar), Omaya Malaeb (Mashrou’ Leila), Dani Shukri (Tanjaret Daghet) and Ezra Tenenbaum (Ezra T/Onebeat). The group was conceived during FSN’s Onebeat Lebanon music residency, creating two meaningful and impactful songs. Jallad’s brilliant lyricism tackles, with mature sensibility, sensitive themes of grief, loss, depression, and how we try to overcome it all. Both songs are a genuine and honest reflection of the collective shared experience and trauma of a people following the August 4 blast, its aftermath, and the simultaneous collapse of the Lebanese state. “Bi Kheir”, meaning “I’m okay”, captures the voices of the survivors in the few moments after the explosion, recounting each of the first conversations that the band members had with family and friends after surviving one of the largest non-nuclear explosion in human history. The looming question is “am I really okay?”. In turn, “Fil Aatma”, or “in the dark”, portrays a desensitized people, waiting for answers, stuck in a surreal realization of total loss of control and agency, displaced from reality, and watching time go by, like shadows in the dark. With its expertly measured lyrical and musical performances, Baada Ab is a beautiful ode to the souls we lost, the grieving souls still with us, and essentially, the artists’ way of expressing and dealing with their grief, while echoing the thoughts of all those surviving in Lebanon
credits
released April 30, 2022

Baada Ab: Mayssa Jallad, Omaya Malaeb, Dani Shukri & Ezra Tenenbaum

Written & performed by Baada Ab
Recorded & produced by Ezra Tenenbaum
Additional mixing & mastering by Christopher Botta
Released on Tiny House Music & Found Sound Nation (@found-sound-nation) © 2022
Artwork by Rana Zaher

Fil Aatma

Baada Ab - Fil Aatma

Bi Kheir

Baada Ab - Bi Kheir

A collaboration between Beirut-based singer-songwriter Mayssa Jallad & Syrian musician & producer Khaled Allaf, 'Madina min Baeed' is the first in a 3-part series of co-releases by Beirut label Thawra Records & global artist collective Found Sound Nation(@ found-sound-nation), highlighting unique collaborative projects that were conceived in the summer of 2021, inspired by the OneBeat Lebanon music residency, and in what could be described as a 'post-apocalyptic' Beirut landscape reeling from the collective trauma of the devastating August 4 blast and the collapse of the nation.

A local main-stay in the music and arts scene, Mayssa Jallad has risen to prominence through her outstanding songwriting, breathtaking vocal performances and engaging lyricism, which deal with the highly personal as well as the political. Having received the Lukman Slim 'Sounds of the City' Prize on her work commemorating the assassination of the prized journalist & political activist, and achieved significant success through her indie band Safar, Jallad has performed across several continents with Safar's Tiny Desk Contest entry making it to NPR's all songs considered highlights, among other notable achievements.

Jallad presents her unwavering artistry yet again in Madina min Baeed, teaming up with Syrian artist, producer and newcomer to the scene, Khaled Allaf, who like many others migrated to Lebanon in the last decade following war and conflict in his native Syria. With this work, Allaf showcases class and a refined electronic composition & production that is at once minimal, and yet teeming with texture & depth. Expertly delivering the goods with a sharp trip-hop groove married to ominous and haunting Synth lines, Allaf aurally paints an accurate picture of the uneasy Beirut air. Together, Jallad & Allaf create an enchanting & entrancing piece, which at first glance may seem flirtatious and inviting, while in truth, captures the tired voice of a city on the brink, where the shadows and lessons of the past are only illuminated by the scarce light of a hopeful future. 

Madina Min Baeed by Mayssa Jallad & Khaled Allaf
Written & composed by Mayssa Jallad & Khaled Allaf
Produced by Khaled Allaf ; Additional production & mixing by Etyen
Mastering by Christopher Botta
Artwork by Ely Dagher
Released on Thawra Records & Found Sound Nation © 2022

Mayssa Jallad & Khaled Allaf - Madina min Baeed

Untitled

Outro

Les Cigognes

Interlude (Je t'aime)

Ame Triste

Everything Was Worth It

Lo Siento

'Thawra Records, Found Sound Nation & Friends' guest show on @radioalhara curated by @etyenmusic, 60 minutes of music highlighting our 3 part co-release series with @found-sound-nation, as well as music from our Thawra & FSN community - aired on April 12th 2022.
// Link to the series: thawrarecordsxfoundsoundnation.biglink.to/theseries

Tracklist: 

1. Mayssa Jallad & Khaled Allaf - Madina min Baeed
2. Khaled Allaf - Takneen Mix
3. Salwa Jaradat, Firas Andari, John Murchison - Inta Mana Wala Mahom
4. Pomme Rouge - Honey Crisp (Etyen Remix)
5. DERAN - Tekhdemdem
6. Etyen & Salwa Jaradat - Galah Waji
7. Wass on Earth - Qubla
8. Dani Shukri & Jeremy Thal - Jamila Mawlat Al Ansar
9. Safar - Other Lovers
10. Etyen - Sawa
11. Baada Ab - Fil Aatma
12. Ezra T - Loud Sounds
13. Dani Shukri & Tarek Khuluki - Sari (A tribute to Rafeeq Shukri)
14. Etyen & Salwa Jaradat - Ensa el Khellani
15. Yara Asmar - Numbers Don't Make Good Friends

Radio Alhara - 'Thawra Records , Found Sound Nation & Friends' curated by Etyen // 12-04-2022

From "My Goddess" LP by Etyen @etyenmusic, available on Digital & Vinyl.

My Goddess

Papillon

From "My Goddess" LP by Etyen / @etyenmusic

Nuits Paisibles

From "My Goddess" by Etyen @etyenmusic, available on Digital and Vinyl

300/700

Lebanese veteran musician and producer Etyen @etyenmusic, dubbed 'Electronica Giant' (Bandcamp Daily) releases the first of a series of singles, originally conceived as part of his live improvisational set, performed at the likes of Sonar Barcelona and RBMA Festival in Montreal, at the peak of his club performances and touring days between '16 & '19.

With influences of Melodic House, Techno & Electronica, Schon exhibits Etyen's masterful melodic compositions set to a high-energy groove, and the artist's signature organic production approach.

While Schon is very much a four-to-the-floor dance track, Etyen's use of catchy melodic hooks, and his unique creative approach of mixing raw elements, recorded vocals and dreamy synthesized sounds, give the song a timeless quality, reminiscent of the work of great artists within the realm, such as Stephan Bodzin, Nathan Fake & Rival Consoles, but with a grittier and punk-ish attitude.

"Schon" releases on Thawra Records on August 16, 2023.

Schon

Etyen - Schon

Refuge

"A raw, cinematic meditation on the search for beauty and the divine in a harsh and cruel world." 

Official music video: https://youtu.be/CMw8Us3cn2o?si=5gy_i3_3xJb0MIdW

Lebanese producer and composer Etyen @etyenmusic releases the first single from his upcoming album My Goddess (out May 30 via Thawra Records / Vinyl distro via Cargo Records UK). The title track “My Goddess” arrives with a striking self-directed music video that delves into the song’s emotional core - confronting loss, longing, and the fragile hope of holding on to something sacred in a chaotic world.

Sonically minimal yet emotionally expansive, the track builds from soft ambient textures and detuned synth loops into an intimate, hypnotic soundscape. Etyen’s signature production style is on full display: restrained, detailed, and cinematic. This is not just a song-it’s a slow-burning invocation of memory, vulnerability, and beauty in the face of despair.

“This was the first song I finished for the album,” says Etyen. “It’s about reaching for the light when you’re surrounded by darkness. The ‘goddess’ here isn’t a specific person-it’s a symbol of tenderness, faith, and everything that keeps you going when you’ve got nothing else.”

The video, directed and produced by Etyen, offers a visual language for this emotional terrain, blending surreal imagery, solitude, and symbolic movement to create a portrait of inner mourning and quiet transcendence. It’s the first in a trilogy of visuals that will accompany the full album release.

Salwa Jaradat - Inta Mana Walla Mahom (Etyen Remix)

Salwa Jaradat - Inta Mana Walla Mahom (Bawrut Club Mix)

Salwa Jaradat - Inta Mana Walla Mahom

From "My Goddess" LP by Etyen @etyenmusic, available on Digital & Vinyl. 

Watch the music video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vfhJ16BZbwo

Four Walls

My God

Reprise

Transitory by Jad Taleb @jad-taleb
Released on Thawra Records (LB)

Tracklist:
1 - Mad Or (Original Mix) 
2 - Transitory (Original Mix) 
3 - Leftovers From (Original Mix)
4 - Mad Or (Extended Mix)

Produced & Mixed by Jad Taleb at Riverside Studios (DE)
Mastered by Ziad Moukarzel at Woodwork Sound Studio (LB)
Artwork by Maria Kassab
℗ 2020 Thawra Records

As we continue our musical discovery of some of the most unique and talented Electronic musicians & producers from Beirut, Thawra Records is excited to welcome on board, Jad Taleb, with his fabulous EP "Transitory". A producer, composer and unique audio-visual artist, Taleb delivers, with this offering, warm and emotive pieces of Electronic dance music, highlighting his unique sound signature, that has previously earned him global appearances on Boiler Room and impressive releases with labels the likes of Exploited Ghetto and Smiley Fingers, among others.

Composed of 3 original tracks, Transitory navigates through House and Techno pastures, with Taleb's emotive and evolving synth melodies, fused with hints of local Middle-eastern flavour, and elevated by warm, textural, and multi-layered production. Mad Or and Leftovers From both demonstrate sharp house vibes, anchored to addictive grooves and funky bass-lines, and yet beaming with melody and ethereal ambience, an aspect fully drawn out in the title track Transitory, which boasts impressive melodic work and a progression that simultaneously challenges the listener while earnestly engulfing them in a meditative state and an undulating world of sound. Finally, we conclude with an extended mix of Mad Or, that progresses further, and introduces a whole new world of sound, earning its own and well-deserved spot on the track-list, and completing this impressive package.

Transitory EP

Jad Taleb - Transitory

Up next on Thawra Records, we are delighted to welcome on board, Rise 1969, with his 3rd studio LP “Black Eye”, a six-track benefaction of dark and unadulterated Techno.

Born in the UK and based in Beirut, William Mahfoud aka Rise 1969 has been a staple of his local rave communities, drawing influences from the punk, techno, drum and bass, and experimental scenes, and with almost a decade of professional experience in sound, two LPs, numerous club residencies and bi-continental performances and appearances at the likes of Electrowerkz and The Ministry of Sound in London. 2019 culminated in Mahfoud traveling to Berlin for a four week residency at Blackhead studios, working under the mentorship of Moodmusic label and studio head Sasse, where Black Eye was born. Fascinated by hippie culture, Rise was immediately drawn to the Berlin underground and found a home in its rich and progressive music communities, specifically the thriving clubbing and techno scenes that have made Berlin the hub for electronic musicians, DJs and free spirits alike, in the last decade.

A direct result of this immersive experience, the 6 track LP is an expertly engineered Techno record, featuring fantastic sound design work, dark & ominous ambiences with deeply penetrating sub energy that would make the sturdiest speaker cabinets tremble at their might. From the titular track and fittingly named Black Eye to the closing Neural Handshake, the release carries impressive textural sound work relying on (a) few methodically woven sounds and textures, emulating a Berghain-esque Techno experience with a unique and uncompromising punk attitude - an ask no questions, take no prisoners melange of Peak-time and hard-hitting Techno with a dash of melodic to warm frail hearts, Rise’s offering is a requiem that engulfs the listener in a world of auditory pleasure delivering massive energy that will shake your core, and probably leave you with an ever so welcome black eye.  

Black Eye LP by Rise 1969 (@william-mahfoud)
Mixed & Produced by Rise 1969 at Blackhead Studios DE
Mastered by Ziad Moukarzel at Woodwork Sound Studio LB
Artwork by Lama Marakshi

℗ 2020 Thawra Records

Rise 1969 - Modular Distortion

featuring: 

Mashrou' Leila, Jade, Adonis, The Bunny Tylers, Lumi, Etyen, Jad Taleb and Who Killed Bruce Lee.

Various Artists - Beirut Remixed (Incl. Mashrou' Leila, Jade, Adonis, Etyen, Lumi, The Bunny Tylers, Jad Taleb & Who Killed Bruce Lee)

Lumi - To The Shore (Jad Taleb Remix)

Thawra records founder Etyen unveils his new EP "Yasmine" deeply embedded in, and exploring his native musical roots. Yasmine offers 3 original tracks and a remix by German-Iranian Electronica producer Namito (Sol Selectas, Bedrock).

Eibada, Yasmine and Ibada seamlessly fuse syncopated rhythms, oriental melodies and driving synth bass-lines & Electronica elements, with a warm and cinematic quality. From a story-telling standpoint, each track forms a chapter in a 3-part critique on identity, and the clash of cultures that parallels the duality within the Lebanese artist, born from one culture and yet adopting another.

Eibada, meaning "worship", tackles the ideas of regressive patriarchal notions embedded in Lebanese society, idolising false gods and holding their opinions as gospel, serving malice in the name of holy worship. On the other hand, Yasmine, the emblematic flower, highlights and reflects on the beauty and intellect found within this conflicted society, while finally, Ibada, meaning "extinction", devolves back into pessimistic outlooks on the path we're leading and where we are headed.

The EP, as such, serves as a process of self-discovery, a gateway into analysing and rediscovering one's roots, unravelling its layers and intricacies, and finding the place within the balance of virtue and vice.

Perfectly complimenting this package is Namito's revolution inspired remix of Eibada, using sounds recorded from the Lebanese revolution which erupted on October 17 2019. Namito masterfully delivers a dreamy club ready mix that packs a punch and holds nothing back with its thematically poignant message.

"Yasmine" EP by Etyen

Recorded, composed, performed and produced by Etyen
Remix by Namito
Mastered by Lopazz
Remix mastered by Ziad Moukarzel
Artwork by Pamela Mansour

℗ 2020 Thawra Records

Etyen - Yasmine EP (Incl. Namito Remix)

Etyen - Ibada

2-track EP Rabbi/Athoubu Fih is the first collaboration between singer/songwriter & dancer Khansa, and music composer and producer Etyen. Initially conceived and performed by the pair as part of unique multidisciplinary dance and music performances over the last two years. 

With engaging and empowering themes relating to gender, identity & religion, Khansa’s lyrical and vocal artistry find a world of their own within Etyen’s meticulously sculpted sonic universe in 2 disparately opposing pieces. The EP opens to a resounding vocal performance in Rabbi; an ominous prayer that erupts into a tantric dance of devotion, followed by Athoubu Fih, where a realm of warm and enthralling atmospheres carry a feather-like chant till the very end. Both tracks deliver a powerful exhibition of interdisciplinary artistic expression and collaboration at its finest. `

Written & composed by @mxkhansa & @etyenmusic
Produced by Etyen
Mastered by Ziad Moukarzel
Released on Thawra Records

Etyen & Khansa - Athoubu Fih (Preview)

Etyen & Khansa - Rabbi (Preview)

After a stellar 2020 in music, Lebanese veteran producer Rise 1969 aka William Mahfoud returns to Thawra Records with a massive 4-track EP showcasing tasteful and adept knowledge of intricate dance-floor energies.

Vah Naboris mixes bass line hooks with relentless power and expertly weaved rhythmic patterns suitable for peak time and psychedelic indulgences, navigating through influences of Techno and break-beat, with oriental and mystical twists, Mahfoud's signature punk attitude and an industrial might.

The EP also comes with a remix of the title-track by Beirut's 'wizard of Electronica' & Thawra Records founder Etyen.

Vah Naboris by Rise 1969
Produced & mixed by William Mahfoud
Remix by Etyen
Mastered by William Mahfoud & Sasse at Blackhead Studios, Berlin
Released on Thawra Records
Artwork by Amy Chiniara

Rise 1969 - Vah Naboris (Incl. Etyen Remix)

Rise 1969 - Daedalus

Beirut-based record label, showcasing forward-thinking Electronic music from the region and beyond.

Requests & inquiries > label@thawrarecords.com

Thawra Records

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