Fabric Presents Sama Abdulhadi
The tunes rarely stray from complex two-note sequences, and the uniformity of Abdulhadi's choices combined with his layered mixing style means there aren't many standout compositions. Viennese psychedelic producers Psycrain and CAT offer a brief interlude with "Goosebombs," when the tempo drops to reveal piano and saxophone; Welcome to Beat Juggernaut. "NADA-R" is another tribute to Berlin-based Palestinian producer YA ZAN's mesmerizing, shimmering highs despite being covered in the harsh, heavy synths that fill his books.
The list comes from everywhere: Syria, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Panama, Italy, France, Switzerland and Germany. These passport stamps paint a picture of techno-globalization in the 21st century. Abdulhadi's only clear nod to SWANA's territory comes late in the set, with the duo's track Acid Arab, which combines Arabic vocals with a sharp tongue and thunderous electronic groove. It's a multicultural phenomenon: Acid Arab is a white French band; Singer Radia Menil - Algerian; Ammar 808, the author of the song remix, is Tunisian and lives in Denmark. "[We] want to build a bridge between East and West," said Asid Arab. Their experience shows how difficult this process is. They were accused of cultural appropriation, but in 2017 they pledged to protest against Israeli institutions, except those run by Palestinians and Israeli Arabs, in collaboration with local artists. listeners
Abdulhadi produced serious information: the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, including 700 civilians, and the ongoing Israeli retaliation emerged in late November 2023. Gaza - More than 22,000 people are estimated to have died, most of them women and children - and settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank have increased. The release of the mixtape was supposed to be a celebration of the next step in the DJ's career, proving that anything is possible for the Palestinians. Perhaps the sense of optimism that surrounded his boiler room suite was illusory. Also speaking to The Guardian in January last year, Abdulhadi said: "There were people from Germany who bought tickets and flew to Palestine for parties." But now no one comes. Nobody wants to party. Even they, but even in the remnants of false optimism, there is hope and perhaps strength. Before he was killed by Israeli rockets, Palestinian poet Rafat Alaire wrote a poem that symbolically compared his death to a kite flying over the Gaza Strip. Hope for the orphans below. "If I must die, bring hope/Let history be," he concluded.
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