DUBAI: From music to fashion, here’s what’s on our radar this month
Aadi x Studio Stereo
Riyadh-based music collective Aadi, founded by Saudi DJs Ali and Nizar — who also perform together under the name Tarab Electro — have teamed up with Barcelona-based self-proclaimed “Audiophile Social Movement” Studio Stereo to host a showcase predominantly focused on house music at the latter’s social club on Aug. 24. Alongside Tarab Electro on the bill are Berlin-based producer Barbara Preisinger, US DJ Kyle Toole (described in an Instagram post from Aadi as “a pure selector, a smiler, and a force in reinforcing how powerful musical journeys are”), Takseer from Kuwait, and Barcelona-based DJs Cosm and Marcelo Cura. In an interview with Arab News last year, Ali said: “Our aim is to foster the development of the burgeoning music scene in the Kingdom. Our ultimate goal is centered on putting Riyadh firmly on the map … for music enthusiasts and creators alike.” The Barcelona showcase is another step on that journey.
Snakeskin
‘They Kept Our Photographs’
The sophomore album from the Lebanese dream-pop duo Snakeskin (singer-songwriter Julia Sabra of Postcards and acclaimed indie producer and multi-instrumentalist Fadi Tabbal) will come out next month on London label Mais Um. (The second single from the record, “Bodies,” came out this week). Tabbal brings the full range of his experience to the record, creating a carefully and imaginatively layered depth to its sound (which Sabra describes to Arab News as “kind of crunchy-doom-pop, with drone, noise and occasional hyper-pop), while Sabra’s vocal chops are on full display, flitting between the ethereal lightness that will be familiar to Postcards’ listeners, through spoken word, to deliberately discordant belting to great effect, creating a memorable album that builds a coherent, though uneasy, atmosphere for the listener. “We started writing it on October 6,” Sabra explains. “So needless to say it was heavily influenced by the events that unfolded in the region.”
Lebanese dream-pop duo Snakeskin. (Rachel Tabet)
Tayseer Barakat
‘Gaza: Recalling the Collage of a Place’
The Ramallah- and Dubai-based Zawyeh Gallery is running a virtual exhibition of the Palestinian artist’s work that is accessible online until Sept. 15 and, according to the gallery, explores “a decade-long series of artworks that delve deep into the rich and intricate tapestry of Gaza,” and that “draw upon his childhood memories and cultural heritage rooted in Gaza, particularly in the Jabaliya camp.” As the title suggests, many of the works on display, including this 1993 piece, employ collage, which, Zawyeh’s director Ziad Anani says, “creates a mosaic of social landscapes and historical echoes, bridging the past and present against the backdrop of occupation.”
Tayseer Barakat's 'Recalling the Collage of a Place No.3' (1993). (Supplied)
Usfuur
‘Summer Glimmers’
The latest collection from the jewelry brand founded by Syrian designer Yara Tlass is, according to a press release, “designed to inspire and uplift … a celebration of feelings of lightness and hope.” The collection’s rings, pendants and earrings are inspired by contemporary artists including Lebanon’s Etel Adnan and Huguette Caland, Tlass says, and seek to express “feelings of warmth and fun that we feel are so much needed in today’s world.”
Amir Eid
‘Roxi’
Eid, best known as the frontman of Egyptian indie luminaries Cairokee, released his debut solo EP — a kind of concept mini-album — in three ‘chapters’ over recent weeks, with the accompanying videos playing out like a vintage movie. His label, Sony, describes “Roxi” as “a blend of soulful melodies and engaging storytelling” that “embraces the nostalgia of the 50s and 60s.” The press release states: “Each installment unfolds a unique part of a love story, with each song serving as a continuation of the previous one … (ensuring) that fans will be on a journey with Amir, experiencing a love story through his eyes.”