Adorcism in the sociology of religion is defined by Jean-Michel Oughourlian as a "voluntary, desired, and curative possession" and is thus, in a sense, the polar opposite to exorcism. "It consists of practices and attitudes aimed at placating and integrating spiritual entities in a person or place. Unlike exorcism the presence of these entities is regarded as healing, empowering or beneficial. They are not considered necessarily negative, even if they appear [...]
Bringing a potent, technocentric mix of all things 'Eastern' to the table are Parisian tandem Guido Minisky and Hervé Carvalho, alias Acid Arab. The two DJs have fallen deeply in love with the soundscapes of North Africa, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey, Ethiopia or even Mumbai, blending their finds with the club sounds they know best to create havoc on dancefloors across the globe:
“We are fascinated by eastern music and its codes, such as complex rhythmic [...]
Wow, what a trip! Fresh off the heels of their recent China Tour, with a string of shows in Beijing, Guizhou, Guangzhou and finally Shenzhen (as part of the OCT-LOFT Jazz Festival), MALOX just dropped a new 20-minute reminder of all the additional fun they had along the way. Watch the video below to see them explore a raucously wild sax 'n' drums face-off with the local Red Scarf crew, during a live improv session at Shenzhen's Old Heaven Book Store, [...]
Over the course of his amazing career, Grammy-nominated Israeli bass player and master producer Yossi Fine has worked with numerous greats the likes of David Bowie, Lou Reed, the Gil Evans Orchestra, Vieux Farka Toure and many more, while producing over 40 albums, some of which went on to receive multiple gold and platinum certifications.
His latest project sees him join forces with acclaimed Israeli percussionist Ben Aylon, aka One Man Tribe, who has [...]
West Coast jazz mavericks The Pyramids and their mesmerizing frontman Idris Ackamoor will be playing 16 gigs across Europe this November. Following an almost 30-year hiatus and facing a growing demand for their inspirational output by vinyl lovers and jazz fans around the globe, the group reunited and signed to German label Disko B, where they released their new "Otherworldly" LP in 2012, as well as three albums from their super rare back catalogue. Having [...]
Hot on the heels of his latest solo album "6am" Tel Aviv musical mastermind Kutiman uploads yet another sonic installment, taking his British Council supported #mixthecity series to the German port city of Hamburg.
His latest composition features an upbeat groove collage of the city's finest sights and sounds, with local artists the likes of bass player Hervé Jeanne, Elbtonal Percussion, cellist Saerom Park of Ensemble Resonanz, violinist Angelika Bachmann [...]
Yes, we're late, but never too late to share some love...
For the past days, Cologne has been host to the first ever Urban Africa Festival, a hub for urban culture and a gathering of lifestyles, artists and artistic forms of expression, stemming from several African metropolises. Hosted by none other than the prolific rapper/director Wanlov the Kubolor (hailing from Ghana and part of the notorious FOKN BOIS) the festival features a special lineup, [...]
Stunning, Ukrainian born Israeli singer/songwriter Marina Maximilian is quite the provocative type. And we mean that in a positive sense. Her art tends to explore the extremes and so it comes as no surprise that she teamed up with APE Records' prodigious Tamir Muskat to produce her latest single "My Boy", a rhythm-driven, pulsating pop ballad that is equally appealing to the eye.
"Tamir's crazy beat painted a scene in my head, some mysterious environment [...]
Three years in the making, Bologna-based Original Cultures imprint is set to release a captivating collaborative project by Bologna's Fawda Trio and London's SwamiMillion (better known as production duo LV) out into the open.
"Road To Essaouira" is the musical outcome of a three-year journey from Bologna, via London, all the way to Morocco's Essaouira that "captures the spirit of Gnawa music through the lens of African-American traditions".
The album was [...]
Little did we know how excited we would be to finally see Selda Bağcan live on stage in Berlin, backed by Tel Aviv's Boom Pam and an additional saz player. The show took place at the longstanding Neukölln-based venue Huxleys Neue Welt, a pretty sizeable venue for the small, but euphoric crowd awaiting her. And so it happened, that she took to the stage, arm in a sling* and kicked off the evening with one of her most iconic songs to date, being "Yaz Gazeteci". [...]
Let's just get this off our chest straight away: Here's an album that pretty much slipped under our radar and that we believe deserves way more attention than it has garnered to date. The İstanbul-bred, Cologne-based artist Elektro Hafiz released his eponymous solo album on Pharaway Sounds back in spring, an electric saz smorgasbord of Anatolian psychedelia, mesmerising funk and progressive grooves moulded into a cutting-edge sound tapestry, bridging many a [...]
When her debut album "Tzenni" impacted in 2014, Noura Mint Seymali hit the ground running. As expressed via NPR: "the arrival of [this] Mauritannian vocalist in front of Western audiences feels like the start of a new era". And indeed, so it is.
In a whirlwind of events Noura was awarded "Best Female Artist from North Africa" at the African Union's 2015 AFRIMA awards and this summer, took to the stage alongside Damon Albarn and The Orchestra of Syrian [...]