Middle Eastern psych rock collective AL-QASAR’s debut album, Who Are We ? (out on Glitterbeat Records Sept. 16, 2022) is a fresh, explosive mix of heavy Mid-East grooves, American psychedelia and. North African trance music. With members hailing from 3 continents, the Paris-based, Barbès-born collective coined the “arabian fuzz” sound by uniting Turkish saz, fuzz guitars, Arab oud, darbuka, vintage amps and classic drum sounds. Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), Sudanese singer-songwriter Alsarah, and Egyptian vocalist Hend Elrawy (Orange Blossom) contribute to this smashing debut. The lyrics are in Arabic, delivering an incisive yet poetic attack on political oppression and raising themes often seen as taboo in Middle Eastern music. But the mood is exhilarating, echoing the atmosphere of the band’s live gigs, like an Arab wedding turned psychedelic celebration on the dancefloor. On Who Are We ?, French-US band leader Thomas Attar Bellier’s hard-hitting production is augmented by the mixing ingenuity of Alain Johannes (PJ Harvey, Arctic Monkeys, Queens Of The Stone Age) and mastering expertise of Grammy-winner Dave Collins (Madonna, Soundgarden). Remixes are on the way, including one by French rockers The Limiñanas (more remixes TBA by heavyweights of the clubbing / electronic scene), and the collective is scheduled to perform at Lowlands Festival 2022 and Pukkelpop 2022, followed by an international album release tour.

foto Al-Qasar © Aurélien Fradagrada