Wormholes
Wormholes is an ongoing audio-visual project by Mazen Kerbaj and Sharif Sehnaoui, two Lebanese free improvising musicians who have been working and playing together since the late 1990’s. In 2008, Kerbaj devised an ingenious set-up which allows him to draw in a live setting, using a luminous glass panel coated with acetate, an overhead projector, and a reversed camera.
While he draws miscellaneous shapes and forms, sometimes precise, oftentimes blurred, and augments them with plastic add-ons and random effects (such as blowing on the panel with a pipe), Sehnaoui operates his guitar percussively, with lines that are heavy and forceful in places, and sparse and muted in others. Although the two men start the piece in unison, not much correspondence occurs at later stages of the performance, between the music and the drawing. Points of interference are accidental, and much is left to the audience’s imagination.
Jad Atoui
No wonder it runs in the family, Jad Atoui, little genius brother of Tarek Atoui, is making his way through the electronic music scene at quite an early age in such an impressive way. Jad’s talent can easily be read between his notes; his passion for music is translated in experimental electronics, ambient, glitch and dubstep.
You can listen to his tracks here
Photos courtesy of Tania Traboulsi
Mocques
Ziad Moukarzel, aka Mocques (spelled Mox) is a Lebanese versatile DJ and electronic music producer. With a diverse musical taste acquired through years of curiosity and research, he ventured through the realm of music production alone around 2004 and with Jawad Nawfal, aka Munma, in 2009 to form the electronic live music act known as Index/Left, producing mainly dubstep. The adventure didn’t end there, recently Mocques was the opening live act for One Man Nation, Kirdek, Niveau Zero, X&Trick, Munma and Jad Atoui. His music is a crucible of electronica, hip-hop, and dubstep with jazz, rock and sometimes pop influences.
Photos courtesy of Tania Trabousli
RadioKVM
Born in 1987 Sary Moussa a.k.a RadioKVM is a producer/live electronic musician,
Prior to fully engage into “the only thing in which I truly give myself entirely”, Sary Moussa has always surrounded himself with sonorities. His constant interest in trying to reproduce the sounds that influenced him by nearby means inevitably lead to the production of his own melodies; often revisiting others’ creations.
Being by his early musical figures such as Jazz, Metal or Punk; Dub and electronic genres like Electronica and Breaks, but also with the great source of inspiration of the Lebanese underground scene, what most accurately defines RadioKVM’s profile is “evolution”.
As true as feeling music is a vital process for him, the way that RadioKVM experience and deliver his music is a complex-yet natural and true- reaction: “It is as if I am staring at a mirror that reflects me as I am listening to music; what I hear and feel, I throw it back my way”, by his owns words.
RadioKVM came as a result of a meeting with Okydody a.k.a Faysal Bibi. An immediate alchemy between their music styles and conception lead them to perform together. The duo they formed, renown for the importance and professionalism of their live acts, stands high in the alternative music scene.
Listen to his tracks on Soundcloud
Munma
Born in Beirut in 1978, Munma aka Jawad Nawfal undertook audiovisual and film studies at IESAV (Institute for Scenic, Audiovisual and Film Studies) in Beirut and chose to specialize in sound design. Nawfal produced a first album named “Aequo:Mitclan” published in 2006 by the American record label Isolate Records.
Munma is Nawfal’s latest musical project. It explores so-called oriental harmonies and rythmics. Munma has released three six track albums until today. The album called “34 days” was published in 2007 by the Lebanese label Incognito, followed by “black Tuesday” in 2008, and “Unholy Republic” in 2009, also published by Incognito. In May 2010, Jawad Nawfal released Munma’s 4th record, entitled Previews & Premises. The self-produced, self-released album consists of 8 tracks recorded between 2006 and 2010.
Discography:1.Yaqiin
2.Mind over matter
3.3cc
4.Qana
5.Munma
6.Judas
Black Tuesday [2007]
1.Pluie d’été
2.Finem respice
3.Ambidextre
4.Dark water
5.IRM
6.Open source
Unholy Republic [2008]
1.Aegri somnia
2.Time collapse
3.Engram
4.Broken chime
5.Deep down
6.Exodus
Premises & Previews [2010]
1.Soft Integration
2.The Alchemist
3.Notion Sickness
4.Ear Damage
5.Explorer
6.Attention Disorder
7.It Came from under the sea
8.Bits and Dust
Munma’s album are sold on our website. To grab a copy, check the Owl’s Merchandise section
OkyDoky
Faysal Bibi aka OkyDoky is a producer and performer of live electronic music. Known for catchy beats, eccentric sampling, and energetic performances, OkyDoky‘s music consists of live instrumentation, sampling, effects modulation, and vocoding using laptops, synthesizers, midi-controllers, and other audiogenetic toys. Mainly breaks-based, his style includes influences from 80s electro to drum ‘n bass and metal.
Hailing from a background in classical violin and rock and metal guitar, OkyDoky has been producing and performing electronic music since 2008. In 2009 he joined forces with fellow electronaut RadioKVM (Sary Moussa) to bring a new level of sonic mayhem upon the Lebanese music scene. OkyDoky & RadioKVM’s live shows have become known for their intensity, including VJ projections and appearances by local MCs. In 2010 the duo released Tasjeelat Mutafarriqa, an EP of individual and collaborative compositions recorded from their live shows.
OkyDoky has also composed and performed live music scores for theater productions that played in Liverpool (2009 Brouhaha Festival, Liverpool) and Brooklyn (2010 Arts in Bushwick BETA Spaces). He is also continually involved in collaborative and remix projects with groups and musicians from the US, France, and the Arab World.
You can check OkyDoky’s music on Soundcloud or follow him on Facebook
Beirut Scum Society
You’ve probably noticed them laying back on some pavement in Hamra streets with a beer can in hand, those guys’ music was born from Beirut’s underground suburbs. Beirut Scum Society is a band that brought back Rock and Roll to life and promises to make you jump on punk like you never thought you would.
Genre: Rock n roll/ Punk
Members:
Khodor Ellaik (Vocals)
Karam Saad (Drums)
Ghassan Al Salman (Bass)
Karim Chams Eddine (Guitar)
Hometown:
Beirut – Lebanon
Current Location:
Beirut
You can listen to their track here!