XP Xine'23 by mdlbeast

INTRO

A Letter from Us Community is the buzzword of our times; brands build communities around products, and artists engage with their community of fans – this is how we develop our sense of belonging. The essence of that word is all about camaraderie; coming together and supporting each other – a place where connections built are based on trust, and a common interest. No truer word can describe the Middle East's music scene – and exemplified in the way this zine came together. We reached out to people within the music scene who had a unique perspective, ready to be seen or heard. These calls for contributions were planned ahead – but like much else, plans go awry. So we scrapped some ideas, chased people relentlessly, and found alternatives. Like the last minute spark to include film photographer, Razan Alzayani with her photo essay "Nightlife Galactica" – covering Saudi's underground music community. Or the incessant WhatsApp nudges and reminders to Timmy Mowafi to share his piece on NFTs, music & identity. And the rawness of editing Tara Aldughaiter's piece over voice notes, Google Doc comments and shared drives. These are only a handful of contributors who shaped this year's issue. Collectively, their commitment was testament to the connections we've built throughout the past few years; all drawn by a desire to strengthen our

regional music scene. The other place where our community shines in this Xine, is with the XCHANGE workshops. For each city we went to, we worked with a partner on-theground, to develop topics, curate guest lists and lead conversations. This ensured that our questions reflected the lived experiences of people in the scene. There was a palpable sense of community in our gatherings; a yearning to meet, connect and speak about the challenges and opportunities for their cities, and the region's music industry. In all cities we visited, people shared in full honesty and authenticity – knowing that this was a safe space to share. And in our synthesis of these discussions, we tried to portray the joys and pitfalls of working in music in our region. Our hope is that this issue of the Xine will build even stronger connections within the community, and stretch our reach even further. Or at the least, delight you in who we are, and what we're all about. What you’re holding in your hands is a love-letter to our regional music ecosystem. The Xine is a yearbook frozen in time. We hope you read it one day in the future and laugh at the worries of a bygone era – a time of little infrastructure, silos and a whole lot of passion.

Haya Shaath Heba Zaidan

The Saudi mu does not exist in a necessary to help promote the regio community to ens holistic, sustainab We can’t, and alone. XChange is steps we’re taking region in our journ the music econom

usic ecosystem a vacuum. It is p shape and onal music sure that we have a ble music industry. d shouldn’t, stand s just one of the g to integrate the ney of developing my.

Nada Alhelabi XP Music Futures Director

We’re here to expand pathways for careers in

MUSIC

XP Music Futures was launched in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in 2021 with a 3 day music conference. During the day, delegates, speakers and artists attended workshops, panels and fishbowl discussions in all topics related to the music industry. At nite, we offered up the warehouse spaces to brands that helped grow our regional music scene. How do you build a music industry from the underground up? You bring together established artists and music pros from around the world, local and regional music industry veterans, and people who are hungry to make it in the music industry, all under one roof. “Making it” in music isn’t just about the artist – but it’s about the ecosystem that fuels it; talent managers, music lawyers, educators, sound engineers, promoters, record labels, policy-makers, streaming platforms… and the list goes on. Beyond just a music conference, XP runs initiatives yearround in the lead-up to the conference, to maximize the impact of our efforts, and accelerate the growth of our music scene. And when we say “our” – we mean the Middle East and North Africa region as a whole. Our annual gathering in Riyadh is our anchor, and we have initiatives year-round, across the region, to tighten our music community even more. .

Enter →

XCHANGE XCHANGE is a series of workshops catalyzing the growth of our music industry. In 2023 XCHANGE went on tour to 4 cities – Abu Dhabi, Amman, Cairo and back to Riyadh. The objectives of the workshop are to take a deep dive into each city’s music scene by inviting key experts to explore topics across XP’s four pillars: Talent, Scene, Innovation & Impact. We worked with local partners in each city to develop the workshop topics, ensure a well-represented list of attendees from the industry, and hosted XCHANGE Nite – showcasing local and Saudi talent.

XCHANGE is an opportunity for us to develop a snapshot of the city’s music industry, gaps, opportunities and more. The outcomes of these localized workshops, and creative contributions from MENA talent are documented in this Xine as a love letter - and yearbook - to our ever evolving regional music ecosystem.

Table

Of Contents

Tara Aldughaiter

Tara is an independent curator, writer and singer. She is the founder of sawtasura, a platform for artistic research, documentation and re-interpretation of women’s music in the region. She comes to us with thoughts around slowing down and integrating somatic practices as part of the creative process.

Fady Nageeb

Fady is Independent music journalist and talent manager out of Cairo, Egypt. He is the former editor-in-chief of Scene Noise with articles published on GROOVE Magazine, Bandcamp Daily and more. In this Xine, he explores the evolution of Egypt›s Mahragant music genre.

Heba Zaidan

Heba is a Jeddawi-American writer, creative strategist and general opinion-giver with a focus on culture, music and social happenings. Apart from being on the Xine editorial team - she explores the nuances of gendered experiences in the music scene with Seera.

Pineapple Pappi

Pineapple is a Jeddah-based, nightlife photographer extensively covering Saudi›s music scene. He shares his evolution asa photographer, and shots of local and international artists playing in Saudi.

Ayah Bazian

Ayah is a Saudi-Palestinian writer and producer. She graduated from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts with a degree in Film & Television, and has been working as a writer and producer based between the UAE and Saudi since 2016.

Razan Alzayani

Razan is a Bahraini/ Emirati visual artist using film mediums to capture the ever-evolving Arab world and her role in it. With her series «Nightlife Galactica» she shares ambient film photographs from Saudi›s underground music scene.

Timmy Mowafi

Timmy is a British-born, Egyptian entrepreneur, writer, creative director, and co-founder of MO4 Network. His piece on NFTs & music makes a case for renewed loyalty to artists, with wit and personal history.

Lana Mawlood

Lana is a Cairo-based journalist and podcast host – covering the region's music, creative and startup industries. In this issue, she covers the SWANA parties taking shape in Europe.

Studio Turbo

Turbo is a graphic design and visual arts studio based in Amman - Jordan. Founded in 2015, the studio specializes in visual identities, and publication design.

X C H A

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE

HOSTED BY XP M & BERKLEE A

THE FOLLOWIN SYNTHESIS & DOC A PANEL DISCUSSI ROUNDTABLE D AMONG 30 PART ABU DHABI›S M

A N G E

A “A CITY OF MUSIC”

MUSIC FUTURES ABU DHABI

NG TEXT IS A CUMENTATION OF ION AND 2-HOUR DISCUSSIONS TICIPANTS FROM MUSIC SCENE.

When the XP team announced their lineup of XCHANGE 2023 cities – Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Amman and Riyadh – a buzz of confusion lingered around Abu Dhabi. This city is not necessarily synonymous with a thriving music scene – but more known for its educational and cultural institutions that shape its arts scene. Abu Dhabi has been successful in attracting Western institutes to set up their regional bases – most notably, The Louvre, Berklee, New York University and the Guggenheim Museum. Having the presence of these institutes allows for an industry to grow; enabling what already exists, and furthering its evolution through access to a global network of cultural entities. For XCHANGE Abu Dhabi, we partnered up with Berklee Abu Dhabi – a global music school with campuses in Boston & New York, USA and Valencia, Spain. Their UAE campus is located in the cultural district of Al Saadiyat Island – neighborhood the Louvre,

and Manarat Al Saadiyat Cultural & Arts Center. The physical proximity of these institutes allows for the cultural community to be close enough for collaboration and communitybuilding. On this late Friday afternoon when the XCHANGE crowd convened, the neighborhood was quiet. The ebb and flow of people in these creative districts largely depends on seasonality of events, rather than an ongoing lively district. This disparity is the crux of the Abu Dhabi creative scene; where institutional impact is driving its growth, while the grassroots community is sparse. The panel and roundtable discussions explored the nuances of these differences, and potential opportunities for further growth. The music scene trickled into the Berklee campus – an undulating structure, initially designed by Foster+Partners for UAE’s national pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

THE EVENING KICKED OFF WITH A PANEL DISCUSSION MODERATED BY MUSIC

MUSIC PROGRAMME HEAD, DCT

GRAMMY NOMINATED SINGER-SONGWRITER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, BERKLEE ABU DHABI

DIRECTOR OF A&R & MARKETING, SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT

EXECUTIVE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR, NYUAD

JOURNALIST AND CRITIC FROM THE NATIONAL, SAEED SAEED, IN CONVERSATION WITH:

In an effort for a well-rounded representation of the music industry, we invited panelists that represent all four pillars of XP Music Futures; Talent, Scene, Impact & Innovation. The panel discussion explored what it actually means to be a “City of Music” – and the impact it has on the industry as a whole, from a multiplicity of perspectives. Dr Ronald Perlwitz was part of the team that worked on getting Abu Dhabi recognized as “City of Music” – which allows them to be part of a larger network of cities of music around the world. Through the power of this global network, they have access to a network of musicians, and creative cities. This has allowed the cultural scene to do more for music, especially for young musicians. It is both a celebration of previous work, and a responsibility to do more. The presence of Berklee in Abu Dhabi has played a big role in receiving this designation; Mayssa, Artistic Director at Berklee highlights the importance it has on positioning artists as ambassadors for the city, which in turn increases the potential the city has for expanding its musical footprint. This designation comes as somewhat of a diagnoses to analyze what assets they have, what are the needs – in licensing, visas, venues – and what partners the city needs more of. From a talent perspective, Karima Damir, Director of A&R & Marketing at Sony Music echoes the importance of this designation for artists. By building this music ecosystem, it creates pathways for artists from the region who aren’t able to travel. This lays the groundwork for potentially exporting Abu Dhabi talent to Europe and the US, instead of the inverse. Such examples are the Emirati Youth Orchestra playing at the NBA halftime show in Abu Dhabi, and more indicatively, bringing The Cuban Khaleeji project to perform at Little Island in New York City.

MAYSSA KARRA

In a country where careers in business, government and healthcare are the predominant choices; a career in music isn’t as viable. This is partly due to the fact that cultural institutes have been burgeoning in the Emirates only within the last few decades. Through policy and institutionbuilding, the government plays a key role in shifting perspectives, and opening up pathways for careers in the arts. This gives permission for artists to dream and begin to express and experiment. Testament to that, the panel closed off with performances by two young Berklee Abu Dhabi students and rising stars – Khayyal and Nejma Al Koor. Both performances – lyrical and performative – were infused with energy that tells a story of where the Abu Dhabi scene stands; at a generational crossroads, oozing with potential, and full of humility. Inspired by the panel and performances, the 30 or so attendees split off into facilitated discussions exploring the state of the scene. Echoing the panel, the common refrain amongst participants was that Abu Dhabi is full of educational opportunities to support talent, but lacks a grassroots community of musicians. This designation comes as somewhat of a diagnoses to analyze what assets they have, what are the needs – in licensing, visas, venues – and what partners the city needs more of. From a talent perspective, Karima Damir, Director of A&R & Marketing at Sony Music echoes the importance of this designation for artists. By building this music ecosystem, it creates pathways for artists from the region who aren’t able to travel. This lays the groundwork for potentially exporting Abu Dhabi talent to Europe

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AT BERKLEE, ABU DHABI

and the US, instead of the inverse. Such examples are the Emirati Youth Orchestra playing at the NBA halftime show in Abu Dhabi, and more indicatively, bringing The Cuban Khaleeji project to perform at Little Island in New York City. In a country where careers in business, government and healthcare are the predominant choices; a career in music isn’t as viable. This is partly due to the fact that cultural institutes have been burgeoning in the Emirates only within the last few decades. Through policy and institution-building, the government plays a key role in shifting perspectives, and opening up pathways for careers in the arts. This gives permission for artists to dream and begin to express and experiment. Testament to that, the panel closed off with performances by two young Berklee Abu Dhabi students and rising stars – Khayyal and Nejma Al Koor. Both performances – lyrical and performative – were infused with energy that tells a story of where the Abu Dhabi scene stands; at a generational crossroads, oozing with potential, and full of humility.

“ WE N GATHE SOMEW IN ONE AND GA SENSE COMM

NEED TO ER WHERE E PLACE, GAIN AIN THIS E OF MUNITY. ” ANGRY SUZY ARTIST

ABU DHABI, NYU AD, BAIT AL OUD 2. SHORT-COURSES AT BERKLEE ABU DHABI ADAPT TO REGIONAL ABILITIES FOR ATTENDANCE 3. UAE MINISTRY OF CULTURE & YOUTH INITIATIVES IN THE ARTS FACTORS THAT INHIBIT GRASSROOTS

1. INSTITUTES SUCH AS, BERKLEE

OPPORTUNITIES FOR TALENT

INSPIRED BY THE PANEL AND PERFORMANCES, THE 30 OR SO ATTENDEES SPLIT OFF INTO FACILITATED DISCUSSIONS EXPLORING THE STATE OF THE SCENE. ECHOING THE PANEL, THE COMMON REFRAIN AMONGST PARTICIPANTS WAS THAT ABU DHABI IS FULL OF EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO SUPPORT TALENT, BUT LACKS A GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY OF MUSICIANS.

OF EXPATS INHIBITS A SENSE OF CONTINUITY 2. SEASONALITY OF MUSIC EVENTS WITH FESTIVALS MAKE ATTENDANCE CONCENTRATED AROUND LARGE SCALE EVENTS 3. LACK OF SMALL, INTIMATE VENUES FOR UP-AND-COMING AND EXPERIMENTAL TALENT 4. COMPLEX LICENSING FOR PERFORMING CREATE BARRIERS FOR INDEPENDENT ARTISTS

1. A TRANSIENT COMMUNITY

A further fragmentation of the scene exists because of the diversity in music genres, and the challenge of building audiences around such niche genres. For example, the heavy metal scene is small, and not as widely accepted by mainstream audiences. On the flipside, the South East Asian population of Abu Dhabi is huge, but their music spaces are limited to clubs and lounges in specific areas. Some scenes struggle to get larger spaces for festivals and gatherings, while others struggle to find smaller, more intimate venues. With a strong foundation for developing talent through education, Abu Dhabi can be a city set to nurture talent global standards. While performance spaces are limited, and the music scene somewhat fragmented, it still offers the seedlings for mobilizing community-driven initiatives by equipping the next generation of music professionals in the region with tools, methods and a network to bring back home. As artists continue to shape their careers in music and experiment with new technologies, bedroom DJs and musicians alike are contending with the impact of AI on music. A few of the attendees agreed that AI is not necessarily seen as something new – as technology has always shaped the way music is created. Contemplating the threats of AI on creativity will always be par for the course, but the real need remains in safeguarding musicians through the regulation of tech policies.

THE REAL ACHILLES HEEL OF THE ABU DHABI MUSIC INDUSTRY – AS WITH THE REST OF THE REGION – IS MUSIC RIGHTS MANAGEMENT. Widespread knowledge and implementation of music rights would not only make a viable career of musicians (as opposed to side-gigging), it would create new professions within the music industry – music manager, music rights lawyers, music publishing companies as a whole. In the same understanding of what it takes to be “a city of music” – the XCHANGE workshop was also a diagnosis of where the music industry is at, where it’s lacking, and where the opportunities lie in furthering the scene.

A natural inclination towards music and the performing arts was apparent since I was a small child who loved to exhibit dramatic acts for my family with my sister. The culmination of many years of improvised singing, personal reflection, applied study and writing in the arts and culture have placed the human voice and body at the center of my professional practice. Through establishing sawtasura, a transdisciplinary platform which translates to “Voice of the Image”, I began to search for, record and transmit women’s voices and poetry in relation to music in our region.

recordings of women in parks, celebrating rites of passage, or lullabying to their children were captured and exhibited.

I worked with research driven artists to document native histories and develop artworks that retell narratives long forgotten, reframing them for a new generation. In collaboration with artists from the south, west, central and eastern provinces of Saudi Arabia; a number of

Storytelling is powerful for so many reasons, especially during times of change. On a physical level, the body becomes an archive of memories and a living vessel for the creative spirit, one which can be restored and re-performed.

Sawtasura became an intersectional resource and space where the wisdom and memories of embodied experiences can be re-lived. It grew into a container through which a quilt of sound and images are sown by multiple voices, acting as anagrams of hope and dreams in our current assimilation to radical change. The transient documents offer a space of reflection in our process of understanding and representation of self.

TARA AL DUGHAITHER

This is a passion project organized and sustained through mimicking an organic,delicate, and indeed slow process of cultural metamorphosis. Between tensions to achieve and deliver, and when language fails to express, somatic practices yields the body into a state of presence that has become more essential. It is through ritualistic engagement with the body in the here and now, where the past and present meet and that the imagination is able to fully unfold.

shruti box, an ancient harmonic instrument originating in the Indian Subcontinent and importantly, after receiving profound guidance from my mentor Marlia Couer in Bali. Through experimental and intuitive vocalizations of what Marlia calls “the soul voice,” I deepened my subconscious awareness of self and story, and strengthened my intention to settle into the waves of change with ease, confidence, trust and comfort.

Our ancestors understood that seasons must be marked with cathartic and immersive acts between human senses and nature’s elements. They ritualized and wrote our sciences and literature in collaboration with land and non-human entities, looked to cosmic movement for direction and paced their growth to that of This began during a summer residencyat Delfina Foundation after I encountered the the crops’. To further deepen my support of myself and others in the growing field of arts and culture, I began to integrate my practice of songwriting and singing in the process of working on sawtasura.

The essential seeds of culture were formed this way in all lands. In parallel, silence and prayer have been extensions of the same act of listening and movement from within. Prayer is a necessary balancing and re-set for encountering the world outside of the Self. We carry an intuitive knowing that by aligning our energies to all that is around, this living, beating flesh can mirror the wisdom of nature’s intelligence. Song and dance have been at the heart of this for millennia. Huda, the first known form of vocal melody known to our region, were performed for camels to motivate their crossing of the desert Currently, I am working together with musical friends to write an album of what I’d like to think of as contemporary labor songs; super composing new tunes to old and new lyrics, expressing the energetic and social shifts in our dearest of lands. I’m taking my sweet time with this. The melodies are meant to accompany us in a moment in which we face the possibility of manifesting our biggest dreams and highest potentials. The songs are an ode to the Huda and our own arduous journeys across an expanding perception of time and space. In our current movement we are experiencing a very real toll on our psyches and bodies. Tuning ourselves into our individual truths allows for this flourishing creative collective a grounded space of reckoning. I invite you to listen to your body and voice its truths while we reap, rest and row.

C T

I S E

FROM SCENE

A I P

TO INDUSTRY

Egypt’s music scene over the last 10 years has gone through huge shifts - for example, from rap not being allowed on the radio, to Egyptian rappers selling out 10k+ attended rap concerts. The industry is full of event organizer and promoters who are pushing the envelope of the nightlife scene – and often working without big budgets. I actually see these limitations as a blessing; we got to focus on what we have locally – and that’s developing our local talent. T

M M

Co-founder, MO4 Network & SceneNoise

The following text is a synthesis & documentation of a panel discussion and 2-hour roundtable discussions among 50 participants from Cairo’s music scene.

The Cairo music scene trickled into Consoleya, on a warm Friday afternoon in late May of 2023. Consoloyea is a co-working space that was formerly the French Consulate – hence the name. The almost v 100 year building was renovated for the modern workspace, but maintained its old worldliness – with massive windows and a balcony. Cairo’s music masters and the musically curious filled up the space – buzzing with energy, and mostly dressed in all black. Egypt’s underground music scene is relatively small, young, ambitious, highly creative and incredibly frustrated. The vibe was familial and welcoming. Our ability to draw in this crowd, curate a panel and host an epic afterparty is all thanks to our local partners – Scene Noise. This partnership was the perfect example of what XCHANGE is about – cultural exchange between cities and scenes; a way to better understand challenges, opportunities and solutions. At the core of this relationship, and these workshops is trust – to create a space to be able to share openly, be guided in conversations, to be heard, and to hopefully create openings for new spaces to grow. In a packed room of over 50 people, we gathered to listen to a panel moderated by Timmy Mowafi, cofounder of MO4 Network – exploring how to make an industry out of a scene. The panel included:

Founder of TMT Talent The manager that took Egyptian rapper Wegz to the World Cup

Founder of Nacelle Introduced real club culture to Egypt with Nacelle

Marketing Director of Cairo Jazz Club One of the longest standing music venues in Egypt

E I

Founder of Unfamiliar, DJ, & Producer “Every DJ’s favorite DJ”

The panelists shared their personal and professional experiences of working in Egypt’s music industry. Each had carved out a space to fill a gap in the industry, and yet, there were still so many holes to fill. The gaping holes and challenges were often related to government policies and bureaucracy that limited the natural growth of the scene – namely through consistent venues. And when venues like the Cairo Jazz Club – that have been around for 22 years – stay around, they become “more than just a venue, but a platform for emerging artists, and a consistent place for established artists.” shares Marketing Manager, Shams Abozeid. A trusted place for good music almost any day of the week – but a handful of places are simply not enough to sustain the industry. A lack of venues means inconsistency in nurturing talent. That’s where event brands like Unfamiliar and Nacelle take up space. Unfamiliar is an event series run by an all-female team lead by Zeina Ezz – with curated lineups, heavy focus on guest experience, ambiance;

an “environment shaped by small interactions”, where the organizers “value softness” in an experience, as Zeina puts it. Nacelle is a large event brand and host of Egypt’s electronic music festival, Sandbox, founded by Tito Elkhachab. Tito is famed to have introduced club culture to Egypt – and he’s still going strong, thanks to his go-getter attitude, to just keeping going, amidst all the challenges. Pop-up parties and festivals are one antidote to the lack of venues. But even licensing for events can be challenging. Though governments laude themselves for supporting the scene – they also require an impossible string of approvals, intertwined in a complex web of bureaucracy. Through censorship, skewed vested interests and complicated licensing for artists and venues, the government inhibits sustained growth of the music industry. The State of Egypt is in the middle of a balancing act between retaining the traditional ideals of the Egyptian identity, while trying to make room for cultural innovation. People in the scene know the tricks all

too well – the Egyptian Tourism Board opts for global headlining DJs to play in front of the pyramids, instead of garnering support for a network of small venues and local artists. This photo-op caters to a global audience, missing resonance with the local community.

Challenges in Cairo’s music scene can be characterized as “wicked problems”. In policy-making and social science, “wicked problems are problems with many interdependent factors making them seem impossible to solve.” The source of most challenges comes from licensing and lack of government support. In the absence of a single solution, artists find themselves stuck in a loop of limited exposure.

NO VENUES › NO FUNDING › LIMITED BREAKOUT ARTISTS › LIMITED GROWTH

ARTISTS NEEDS M

K N

S O

H L

A A E

R D

I G

V D

CHALLENGES WEAK SENSE OF TRUST BETWEEN ARTISTS, LABELS, MANAGERS & MUSIC INDUSTRY PROS LACK

EDUCATION ON INDUSTRY STANDARDS

MUSIC

UNREALISTIC VENUE LICENSING EXPECTATIONS FINANCIAL

VIABILITY CAREER IN MUSIC

FROM

Asem Tag, founder of TMT Talent, has been an instrumental figure in supporting talent. By taking care of the business side of music – marketing, managing, strategizing, negotiating – Tag built the infrastructure to free up space for artists to purely focus on creativity. Talent is not just about the artist – in its broadest sense, it’s about anyone’s ability to do anything in a given field. At XP, we say talent is that heart of everything we do; talent is also about managing talent.

Artists need managers & agents for venue bookings to build audiences Venues are limited Artists find alternative sources for success through brand sponsorships & ads. All roads lead to the mainstream. What’s the alternative path in a sponsorshipdriven music economy?

With so many fundamental issues still needing to be addressed – it’s a tough ask to begin exploring elements of impact and innovation within the Egyptian music scene. Nevertheless, conversations continued, with a look towards progressing and evolving further.

that plagues nightlife scenes regionally and around the world. Local initiatives have sprung independently, and in partnership with global brands to address the issues of harassment. “Speak Up” is a digital feminist platform which was creating during the 2020 feminist uprisings in Egypt, and has played Impact within a scene a vital role in building varies from city to city awareness and shaping – it depends on the conversations about maturity of the city’s sexual harassment. In nightlife. Within Egypt’s 2023, they partnered context, social impact with Red Bull to have a was mainly driven physical presence at the through partnerships Red Bull Sound Clash and collaborations – festival, training security, ensuring the sustainability and caring for victims. and longevity and Other community-led sustainability of the music initiatives have also industry and events. focused on behavioral campaigns, PSAs and Throughout the scene, community policing there remain some for safety. elements of gatekeeping – which limits the AI is slowly gaining diversity of people traction in Cairo’s music attending certain shows industry – though and festivals. Issues most are still focusing around accessibility to on building better these spaces are closely experiences in real life. linked with certain Those turning to AI demographics – often highlight improvements splintering the scene into in efficiency with artists; clusters based on class. enhancing visibility through playlists, cutting One of the most pertinent costs for production issues within Egypt’s and content creation, music industry is around and more access to new women’s safety – an issue sounds. Such openings

and opportunities are indicators of a promising potential future of an AIsupported music industry. Egypt is has never been a country that’s short of creative talent – thanks to the sheer size of its population, and its historical roots of being a cultural influence in the region. Sounds from Egypt run the gamut of genres; the country churns out Arab music superstars, rappers, hiphop artists, electronic DJs and everything in between. But there’s always room for more. And in true Arab spirit, youth cultures persevere, often in defiance of outdated systems, or in celebration of their limitless potential and unbound creativity.

The Many Lives of Egypt’s Mahraganat Music

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Ever so often I find myself in the position of having to describe mahraganat music to someone who’s never heard it before, and the best analogy I have come up with so far is to imagine the Egyptian shaabi song on steroids, lather it in autotune and then top it off with some of that baile funk social stigma on top. The genre’s explosivity and ability to transcend socioeconomic barriers has been undeniable and it remains one of the most original sounds to emerge from Egypt. However, what’s truly astounding about it is that despite its humble background, it managed to inspire and drive innovation out of musicians and producers in both Egypt and around the world. From hard-hitting dance music to left-field experimentation that knows

no boundaries, mahraganat has seeped into so many different bodies of work, too many to count probably. This isn’t another phenomenon that’s waned over time either, the genre’s influence continues to be felt. Just this last year Nooriyah dropped Al Sawareekh’s “Laa Laa” in her Boiler Room set and DJ Haram played a bunch of mahraganat in her Dekmantel set. So here’s a comprehensive guide to artists who took inspiration from the sound and ran with it, creating some future classics in the process. We can’t mention dabbling in mahraganat without bringing up Maurice Louca’s 2014 masterpiece Benhayyi El Baghbaghan (We Salute The Parrot). Wedged between his 2011

solo debut Garraya and his 2019 free jazz odyssey Elephantine, The Parrot is considered by many as his magnum opus, and a big majority of listeners know him through it. The record carries clear nods to mahraganat and its originators at several points throughout its 38 minutes, with guest appearances from genre originators like Amr 7a7a & Alaa 50 on several tracks. This album has truly managed to capture the essence of shaabi and mahraganat and cast them in a light we’ve never seen before. Along comes Molotof, hallowed genre blender, producer for the Egyptian rap legends, and a man who started the eponymous “molowave” sound, a sonic signature that many of Egypt’s rap producers would have a go at trying to recreate for years after he brought it forth. Hailing from Cairo’s neighborhood of Hadayek El Maadi, Molotof started blending acid and techno with mahraganat under the moniker of Hadayek 303 in 2016. His palette for MENA rap, hard-hitting techno blended with a close connection to the streets led to him infusing mahraganat with thumping 808s and flailing synth lines. He worked with some of the biggest mahraganat MCs giving the sound a facelift and went on to collab with Marwan Pablo in “El Gemeza” as well as producing Wegz’s springboard hit “Dorak Gai” and even worked BLTNM’s Shabjdeed. Rewind exactly one year before Molotof caught our ears with his early work and you’ll find quite possibly the most captivating figure to come out of the Cairo electronic music scene. Rozzma, a self-described time

traveler who who made his debut in 2015 with the single “Sheyaka” which comes bundled with a video of a rather rambunctious Tutankhamun dancing through the increasingly hectic Cairo streets to his own jaggedy, intense, and mahraganat flavored “Cairo Rave Bass” as he accurately chooses to describe it. Rozzma went to sign with the UK’s ubiquitous XL records and shocked a lot of people with several solid rap performances, infusing some of that electro-shaabi spice here and there. Another artist who chooses to remain unnamed and unfaced is 3Phaz, who earlier in his career came up with Rozzma (before he was Rozzma) through the Kairo Is Koming collective. 3Phaz made his debut with the track ‘Phazbaz’ on the 2019 Cairo Concepts compilation by Swiss DJ Phil Battiekh which features the likes of DJ Plead, DJ Haram, and more. He would go on to release his debut album Three Phase sometime in 2020 which would gain him momentum on the international circuit with appearances in Boiler Room, HÖR, and more. He describes his sound as “percussive club music” inspired by the raw textures of mahraganat, which rings true especially when you hear him live. No spoilers, but it’s some proper dance floor demolition. There’s no doubt mahraganat is fully woven into the fabric of Egyptian society at this point, despite all the adversity and backlash it faced throughout the years. One could only hope its raw energy and infectious aura will continue to be felt, propagated and reinterpreted through all forms of artistic expression coming out of Egypt for a long time.

Identity & Immutability: Music NFTs From a Fan’s Perspective T

M M

It seems every 20 years, like clockwork, a new format to consume music emerges. Vinyls gave way to cassettes, which were cast out for CDs before mp3 torrents were downloaded, only to be overshadowed by the tidal wave of streaming. Now for two years, there’s been a simmering murmur about the promise of NFTs in music. Most of that discussion has been around how blockchain based distribution - similar to how art-based NFTs blew up - has the potential to cut-out the middle men in the industry and provide more meaningful (and profitable) ways for artists to monetize from their fans. Till now, that utopian idea has not come into fruition, and much like the current state of Web3, from a mass adoption perspective, feels predominantly speculative. It is of course early days, and rather than imagine music NFTs

as some sort of savior mechanism that will make artists’ dreams come true like a mythical A&R figure in a Hollywood biopic (if only the artist can figure out how to buy crypto and download a wallet and mint their music in act two), I’d like to shift our gaze to the fans perspective and wonder how NFTs could have the potential to orchestrate another paradigm shift in how we consume music. I remember the first CD I bought. It was a copy of a Wheatus single from Woolworths in London. My uncle was visiting from Egypt and prompted us to choose any record we wanted. I don’t remember particularly being into the geeky alt-rock stylings of Wheatus but I guess the cover art was cool. We had lunch nearby and I lost the bag with the CDs in them. When we went back Wheatus was nowhere to be found on the shelves, I probably never listened to them with any kind of intent again and ended up going with another classic, which meant till this day I know all the lyrics and mechanical inflections of how they should properly be pronounced to Bomfunk MC’s “Freestyler”. In a day and age when choosing music was more of a selective process, parting ways with around 20 quid for the ability to be able to listen to the music you like when you want and not wait for MTV, or Kerrang or The Box (90s kids will understand) to play them on TV, was a very conscious decision that immediately gave more value to the artist, you felt more connected to them, and you would listen to the limited amount of CDs that you have over and over again, till you had favorite parts of favorite verses of every song. These

days I can barely even remember the lyrics to a trending TikTok hook. My CD collection (mainly emo bangers) grew, it was a joint one with my brother that we used to play on a what seemed at the time insanely expensive Sony system, the kind that would whirl and cough and make a huge cacophony of sounds as the CD tray opened and closed as if to justify the extortionate price for the huge effort it was going through to play your CD. Being able to open and close the tray with a remote occasionally trumped the whole listening to music part. I wish I could remember the first song I downloaded on Kazaa, one of the first feral P2P music sharing softwares to come into public recognition after Napster. It might have been Linkin Park. Most people remember the viruses but I’m assuming not many people remember the assortment of horrible sounding mp3s they collected on these websites. Looking at you too Limewire, Bearshare – thank you for all the unwanted porn. Music at this point became accessible; it was “freed”, there was a magic to that but it also became very much a commodity. We would burn CDs and rip the rips of tracks and go on with our merry way listening to them on tiny mp3 players - but at least there was only space for what? 50 tracks max? We still had to think a bit, to choose what we loved, but at this point without much consideration for the artists’, as we became further detached from the source of the music.

Then streaming came along - everyone lost their shit - and now budding artists basically lose any chance of earning significant income from music sales unless, on the very off chance they come out with a viral hit (with accompanying Tik Tok dance). Every song, any time, in an instant, no viruses, legal and basically free. But at least it’s better than ripping mp3s, the industry said. Perhaps (speculatively of course), music NFTs can be to the next generation of Zs and Alphas, what CDs were to millennials like me – a conscious choice to say hey, I can identify with this artist, I’m willing to part way with $5 (or 0.0025 ETH) to actually own this piece of music. NFTs might just breathe new life into the romance of collecting music, to be able to show off your music collection to friends or whatever artificially programmed acquaintance kids will have online in the future. The music in our digital wallets could be the analog equivalent of the vast vinyl shelves reserved for audiophile aficionados or aging techno DJs in Berlin lofts. Will we truly ever give a shit enough to buy all our music? Unlikely, but for the artists and music that truly changed us, maybe sparing some change for them should be an onus on us all. There is a lot of talk about the power of ‘utility’ in Web3, meaning the artist would provide additional benefits to holders of their NFTs (think concert tickets, merch, exclusive content etc) with the idea being the value of the NFT will also grow over time - but the reality is budding artists without a label and a team of marketers surrounding them, barely

have enough bandwidth to promote their own releases let alone continually service a community for extra clout. So maybe we don’t make the same mistakes the art world did with NFTs, in believing utility is a financial 10X, or to try take more from the artist than the art - because the real utility of art and music is and always has been how it makes us feels, how it has the power to stir different emotions within us - and recording a piece of that as ours says more about who we are than the 80 million tracks in your pocket, algorithmically vomited out into an echo chamber of your own taste - no matter how quirky and nuanced your playlist titles are. If only that Wheatus track was on chain, who knows what kind of Teenage Dirtbag I could have been.

“MUSIC AT THIS POINT BECAME ACCESSIBLE; IT WAS “FREED”, THERE WAS A MAGIC TO THAT BUT IT ALSO BECAME VERY MUCH A COMMODITY.”

HOSTED BY XP MUSIC FUTURES & MALAHI ENTERTAINMENT

THE FOLLOWING TEXT IS A SYNTHESIS & DOCUMENTATION OF A PANEL DISCUSSION AND 2-HOUR ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONS AMONG 50 PARTICIPANTS FROM AMMAN’S MUSIC SCENE.

Key members of Amman’s bustling yet fragmented music scene filed into the third floor of Manara – a coworking space, cafe and meeting grounds in Jabal Weibdeh, a neighborhood famous for its longstanding history as the epicenter of Ammani culture. Amman’s music scene is diverse, and very clearly so. Avid hip-hop heads, underground ravers, indie crooners, and local alternative heroes shuffled in the tight space. With warm embraces all around, it had the unique air of a family reunion. The opportunities of these meetups are scant, with enthusiastic participants from all over the city flooding in, and eventually spilling over to the balcony overlooking the city of Amman.

Bringing these sub-communities together was no easy task – we worked with the ever ecstatic Shermine Sawalha of Malahi Entertainment to bring this workshop and Nite to life. The XP team first met Shermine during XP22 in Riyadh – and she was the obvious and natural partner for XCHANGE Amman. Shermine has been an influential part of the Amman music scene – event organizing, representing female artists under Malakat Records, and so much more. Later that evening, at XP Nite in Chaos (in a grungy hotel basement in Abdali) – we overheard someone say “trust Shermine to dig up a place like this – Ive never heard of this place.” Shermine knows the scene, and everyone knows Shermine.

Further down the stream, Yazan Nabulsi Co-Founder of Kiefe Records – an independent record label involved in the full circle of music publishing – shares his perspective on doing more for artists. Kiefe wears multiple hats – from distribution to publishing, booking live shows to shooting music videos. Co-Founder of Turbo, Radio Alhara & The TBA Collective

Founder of Kiefe Records

Founder of Scene by Sahli, JFAC & Co-founder of The Corners Pub The speakers on the panel were responding by creating opportunities in the gaps they had found in the music scene. The multi-hyphenate Saeed Abu Jaber does that by building platforms – physical and digital – to represent artists and musicians. In Amman’s small and fragmented scene; creators build these DIY spaces to showcase talent. Radio Alhara, a community radio born during the pandemic, hosts over 200 monthly resident shows – and has become a tool for discovering talent and events, a community and a platform for global activism.

Amman’s independent record labels work within extremely limited education and regulations. From the artist’s perspective – they don’t have access to information; how to release your song, what a distributor does, how to collect and how to protect your rights. This is where labels can begin to close gaps with their services; but music education is greatly lacking – a common and persistent problem across the region. From a policy level, Amman also lacks basic and necessary infrastructure for sustainable growth – like performance rights organizations, capital and institutional support. Yet, it remains at the nexus of the Middle East and the world – offering a stable climate to

Shermine Sawalha, Founder of Malahi Entertainment, moderator.

nourish talent and serve audiences. In this liminal space of scarce support, the music scene struggles – but remains consistent; developing extraordinary indie talent – often in DIY spaces and venues. Consistency in a fragmented scene is difficult – but Corner’s Pub is one such venue that has remained a constant over the years. A guaranteed good night of intimate live performances. Mais – Owner of Corner’s shares that the key to its success is because of the way they work with artists; working beyond just a space to sell tickets, but a place to nurture talent. Amman’s musicians are incredibly talented and passionate, but are sometimes hesitant about pushing boundaries, in fear of eliciting controversy through their work. Jordan’s predominantly conservative community is critical of these new forms of expression and performance. This calls for combining forces to create spaces that encourage the scene and drive the music movement.

The real fragmentation though, exists not within the independent music scene; but between the so-called 1% – middleto-upper class, English-speaking, West Amman; and the rest of Jordan. This socio-economic divide trickles into mindsets and policies. Independent musicians hold back from full creative expression, in fear of backlash from their predominantly conservative country. Similar to the Egypt’s Syndicate of Artists, Jordan’s performing arts policies and regulations are seen to inhibit experimental and independent talent. In order to perform legally, artists need to obtain an Artist Syndicate license, and in order to obtain the card, they must have a degree in music. Such requirements are almost impossible, in a country where music is not yet a viable career, which means artists are usually juggling two careers – one to sustain the other. Without a license, artists cannot promote their shows – so their audience remains largely the same; regulars at the venue, or the same tight knit community who hear about shows through the grapevine. Considered through a wider lens, the Jordanian cultural and music scene is vibrant. Due to its predominant socioeconomic stability and large tourism industry – many embassies, as well as global and local cultural institutes fund and support the sustainable growth of the cultural scene. The Amman Jazz Festival is sponsored by Zain (telecom provider), Jerash Festival for Culture & Arts is under the patronage of Queen Rania, to name a few.

In the absence of government support and funding, the Amman arts, culture and music scene benefits greatly from grants, foundations, embassies and international institutes. The key to the sustainability and growth of the scene is knowing the motivations behind the partnership, what are the collective benefits and potential downsides; such informed decisions are for the longevity of the scene.

Amidst the fragmentation and limited support, the strength of the independent music scene comes from the power of community and collaboration. Building on this essence – below are some key tangible opportunities uncovered during the workshop.

A MUSIC PUBLIC COVERS THE SCENE W CHARTS, VENUE LISTINGS DATABASE FOR VIDEOGRAPHERS, CREAT VENUES, VENUES MUSIC POLICIES & REG EDUCATION INITIATIV & BREAKING CULTURAL T SUBCULTURES IN TH INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS EQUIPMENT FOR RECOR

CATION PLATFORM THAT WITH ARTIST PROFILES, AND MORE PRODUCERS, ARTISTS, TIVES VENUES, RESTRUCTURING GULATIONS MUSIC VES FOR EMPOWERMENT TABOOS BRIDGING HE CITIES THROUGH HIGH QUALITY RDING AND PERFORMING

THE EVENTS ENRICHING EUROPE’S MUSIC SCENE Lana Mawlood

A notable movement of SWANA music nights is taking hold in Europe, carving out spaces for connection, safe selfexpression, and radical joy in the diaspora. This is not entirely a new phenomenon – parties such as the Beirut Groove Collective and Hishek Bishek in London have been ongoing for ten years and more – yet their growth has snowballed in recent years, and genre fusions with electronic music styles have popularized. The post-pandemic era ushered in a generation determined to rebuild a sense of community and reclaim spaces of pleasure and party that were previously white-dominated. The themed events are often termed ‘SWANA,’ that is, South West Asia and North Africa – it’s an acronym that has gained traction in the diaspora in recent years because it shuns the euro-centrism inherent in the term ‘Middle East’ – for example, DJ Nooriyah’s ‘Middle Of Nowhere’ Party in London plays on this idea in its title. Many events at their inception simply offered the chance to dance with friends and create a home away from home. “When I moved to Paris, none of my favorite bands or artists [from Beirut] were there. One day I thought, what if I started my own night to host my peers and reconcile with my home city?” says Hadi Zeidan, who founded the Beirut Electro Parade in Paris in 2017. “It’s a beautiful way for people to celebrate their Arab identity,” comments Moataz Rageb, better known as Disco Arabesquo, music archivist and DJ who runs SWANA funk and pop nights in Amsterdam. The immersive appeal of Rageb’s nostalgic soundscapes has fuelled his event’s growing popularity: “At each event, I receive so much love from people who, for whatever reason, don’t or can’t visit the Middle East often. This is the driving force for me to continue.”

In some parts, a nightlife scene coalesced from overlapping experiences of politically induced displacement. “Each one of us relocated to Berlin on our own, but meeting in Berlin made us realize the common political circumstances that created our departures, the mutual interests we have,” the founders of AL.Berlin, a cultural events producer, shared. So, events like these allow for the reassembling and empowerment of a people in response to its fragmentation. The prospects for this are unmistakable, as AL.Berlin points out: “Especially since the movement of Syrian refugees and other waves of migration to Berlin from the region, the collective consciousness of a SWANA art and music scene has been building in tandem with the growth of a politically progressive diaspora.” What is more, showcasing artists and DJs with a more authentic connection to their tracklists is contributing to better self-representation in the music industry of Arabs and the many other ethnic identities within the Middle East. “We’re seeing a shift away from a white-dominated club scene in the Netherlands,” explains one Egyptian Rotterdam-based DJ and event organizer. In the West until the early 2010s, white, male producers and event organizers controlled barriers to entry of many electronic music clubs in capital cities. DJs would profit off cherry-picking African, Caribbean, Middle Eastern and South American sounds and tailoring these to an English-speaking market, with no appreciation or sensitivity to their cultural origins.

“There’s an important movement happening to reclaim this music. Lots of smaller communities in the Netherlands are coming together, hailing from South America to East- and West Africa to the SWANA region, to get back to the root of the culture and represent our music as it really is.” The curation of ‘SWANA’ artists and DJs is not without its own challenges. “Between us, we have Kurdish, Iranian, and Lebanese backgrounds, and we absolutely love working together,” shared Muskila, KUCHULU and Ms. Aytara, the three founders of Bukhar, a party series based in Copenhagen. “However, it’s been a challenge to curate line-ups that are representative of all cultures and styles from the region. We think the term “SWANA” will be challenged in the coming years. There are so many nuances, differences, and forms of beauty that deserve our focus and attention, which can be difficult to do at once.” Excitingly, many parties also serve as a cultural interface between diaspora and homeland: that is, a place where the latest musical innovations from SWANA and European diaspora can be mutually exchanged, especially since the ‘MENA’ region was recently found to have one of the fastest growing music industries in the world. “There is so much amazing electronic music coming out of Egypt at the moment,” says DJ Luma, founder of London-based Habibti Nation, “The next steps for Habibti Nation would be to take the club night to the Arabic speaking world and collaborate with local events and artists there. That would be incredible!”

“IT’S A BE WAY FOR P CELEBRA

IDENT

EAUTIFUL PEOPLE TO ATE THEIR

TITY” Moataz Rageb Disco Arabesquo

I HEARD THE SOUND OF MY LAND AND IT’S

Ayah Bazian The song starts with what I imagine a spring to sound like. Not the water kind, but the object: a mechanical spiral, like someone pulled a cartoon spring to its limit and let go suddenly. It’s a twang that sounds detached from instruments, a twang that dissolves into a series of organ chords, swelling, filling my ears with a medieval melody, its edges fuzzed by autotune. Then, a break, a beat drop, and Shabjdeed comes in, his voice also thick with autotune: Nakad, galag, yakhi, galab ma3dee…

If Count Dracula composed the melody for a trap song, it would be NKD GLG. It’s haunting yet playful, its lyrics and melody alternating between the woes of living under occupation, the joys of finding a crew to trust within a sea of suspicion, and the pride of resisting, honestly, stubbornly, arrogantly, the unnamed but obvious colonial other. Lines like “latshoof il 3izz, ta3al shoof 3arasee” are followed immediately by “ma nhaab il moot, law jaanil moot tarani 7ot 3eini b3einey, ninsa thal ba3nee, eh.” In almost a single breath, Shabjdeed goes from bragging about the parties he throws to his experiences looking death right in the eye.

Shabjdeed shows us verse after verse that you cannot escape the violence of occupation, even as you survive it. Its scent seeps into every aspect of life, from weddings, to parties, to just hanging with friends. In Palestine, joy and misery are so closely intertwined as to be almost indistinguishable. In each there is a speck of the other, like the yin-and-yang symbol (before it was nullified by white girls who do yoga to mean peace instead of peace). Growing up in the Palestinian diaspora, my first-generation parents touted nostalgic depictions of the homeland: the olive tree and the knafeh and the orange groves, the fishermen of Akka and the farmers of Jericho. The music they listen to still reinforces this nostalgia, both lyrically and melodically. Examples of this are Shalby Younis & Ghazal Ghrayeb’s “Mayil Ala Baladi” and Mohammed Assaf’s “Anna Dammi Falasteeni.” Though I appreciate both songs for their picturesque imagery and peaceful (though proud) patriotism, this musical translation of what it means to be Palestinian no longer feels relevant. At least not to me, at least not all the time. It is important imagery, yes, but imagery that no longer accurately reflects Palestine today. The olive trees are burning, the Jerusalem stones are soaked in blood, and like the parasitic eucalyptus forests they planted in 1948, the settlers are taking over. Shabjdeed, Daboor, and other artists signed to Ramallah-based label BLTNM are the few musicians both reflecting and combatting this in their music. Take Shabjdeed’s single Wlad Quds from his debut album Sindibad Al Ward. Again, the song’s throughline is a foreboding synth melody layered with a throbbing beat and Shabjdeed’s lyrical mastery delivered in autotune. At the very beginning of the song, he reminds us of

the only result of sustained, one-sided violence: “Kol fi3il lahu raddit fi3il.” Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When the message is encased in autotune, it feels even more valid. For my autotune haters (most of you, I’m assuming), a brief history: autotune was invented in 1997 by Antares Audio Technologies, a company that creates software solutions for the music recording industry. Its initial purpose was to adjust pitch fluctuations and fix singer’s vocal errors. But in the early 2000s, artists, particularly rappers, began using it as a tool of distortion rather than correction. In the case of modern Palestinian music, this use of autotune feels strikingly appropriate. The horrors and reality of tech-enabled apartheid are often so visceral as to feel nightmarish, and to accurately depict it, Shabjdeed not only raps about them as honestly as possible, but also wraps his voice in a blanket that distorts, disturbs, and disrupts reality in the same way apartheid does. There is nothing nonviolent about occupation. The idea, then, that resisting occupation should be nonviolent is ridiculous. The idea, then, that even music made under occupation should be sanitized and stripped of its time and place in Palestinian history is also ridiculous. Violent times beget violent art, and violent art is the most honest way to transmute anger, frustration, and rage into dialogue. In this way, Shabjdeed’s music is not a call, but a response. An equal and opposite reaction.

THERE IS NOTHING NONVIOLENT ABOUT OCCUPATION. THE IDEA, THEN, THAT RESISTING OCCUPATION SHOULD BE NONVIOLENT IS RIDICULOUS.

XChange

From Grassroots to Licensced ( ‾ʖ̫̫‾)

Setting MDLBEAST’s newly minted HQ made preparations to welcome in their first guests. It was our final XCHANGE for 2023: the homecoming edition – finishing the tour off strong with our friends, family and community members right where we started. Meeting once again a year later, this was XCHANGE's second foray into the Riyadh music scene.

the

Scene

At XCHANGE in 2022 in Riyadh, we discussed legitimizing the music scene. This topic was polarizing, as grassroots organizations were keen on safeguarding their community’s free spirit - while those affiliated with cultural governmental entities adhered to the desire for order, regulation and a by-the-books approach. Nonetheless we left with a better appreciation of both sides.

Context

King

Between then and now, came a litany of On a panel sharing their insights – changes to the licensing, and really the these nightlife event founders share ‘official’ way to throw a music event. their perspectives: What does that mean materially?

An upfront payment of half a million SAR as collateral, the entity applying for such licensing must have 3 years of event experience - to name a few. How do you gain 3 years of licensing experience, with no ability to be licensed due to lack of experience? These changes caused a disruption amongst nightlife brands that were license-curious, as the barrier of entry both logistically, and financially has been raised.

Gigi Arabia Founder of Heavy Arabia, a metal music collective

Yazeed Ahmed Founder of Freaks of Nature, a homegrown boutique music festival

This is done in effort to assure that music and entertainment events are safe, secure and managed by entities who are capable and responsible of delivering such events.

Ayman al-Zurayer

Bearing in mind the cultural temperature of nightlife in Riyadh as of late, the following is a digested summary of the fruitful conversations between Saudi’s very own nightlife brands that crossed the bridge from grassroots, to licensed events.

Founder of Desert Sounds, a licensed electronic music party brand

Reality

of the Regulations

The music scene in Saudi Arabia has historically been underground, unconventional, and exclusive. Gigi, the CEO of Heavy Arabia, reflected on the early 2000s when the scene was a closely guarded secret, known only to those "in the know." The lack of licensing regulations meant that events were hosted in a risky and uncertain environment. These events were fueled by passion and a deep love for the music, but they operated without a clear expansion plan. Yazeed, the CEO of Freaks of Nature, highlighted the game-changing moment when they became part of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA) accelerator program. The program acted as a bridge between the industry and GEA, and it was instrumental in providing insights on executing festivals safely. This program played a pivotal role in educating event organizers about the possibilities of licensed events.

2 Positive Impact on

Legitimizing Events Licensing introduced a sense of credibility to the Saudi music scene. Gigi emphasized that becoming a licensed company allowed them to appear more credible to sponsors. With the licensing process streamlined, taking as little as 180 seconds with GEA, sponsors became more interested in associating with the events, recognizing their authenticity and safety. The transition to licensed events significantly enhanced safety. Yazeed mentioned how licensing ensures basic safety measures like the availability of water and also addresses more significant issues such as harassment. Licensed events allow the prosecution of harassers, a difficult feat in the unlicensed event scenario. Additionally, having a medical team on site added to the overall security of the events. Ayman, CEO of Desert Sound, highlighted the critical role of licensing in expanding the Saudi music scene and bringing rave culture to the Kingdom. Licensed events are an opportunity to create something historic, both on a local and international scale.

Inherent

Opportunity for More

Understanding

from Challenges Local Authorities with Licensing

However, it is not all smooth sailing with licensing. Licensing regulations are evolving, but challenges still exist. The current licensing approach often appears one-size-fits-all, making it complicated for event organizers to navigate. There is also a substantial capital requirement for obtaining a license, with the additional stipulation that the company must be at least three years old. Furthermore, there are issues related to the enforcement of regulations around ‘rave culture’, which some feel are overly restrictive. The disruption of dated social norms is an eyebrow raiser to compliance officers that ensure all licensed events are running in accordance to regulation. This poses a risk to event organizers some previously fined because of their ravers dancing. These realities coexist with benefits, security and assurance that licensing provides.

The transition from underground to licensed events in Saudi Arabia represents a remarkable shift in the country's cultural landscape. Yet, there is room for improvement and increased understanding from local authorities. It's crucial that the authorities work closely with event organizers to adapt licensing regulations to the unique needs of different genres and events. This collaboration could help maintain the authenticity of the music scene while ensuring that safety and compliance standards are met.

( ͡͡~ ͜͜ʖ ͡°͡ )

(╭☞• ⍛• )╭☞ In Conclusion,

the transformation of the music scene in Saudi Arabia is well underway, and licensing has played a crucial role in legitimizing events, ensuring safety, and attracting sponsors.

While there are

challenges that still need to be addressed, the shared enthusiasm ❐ ‿ ❑ and determination of individuals like Gigi,Yazeed, and Ayman, as well as the support of local and international players in the industry,suggest that the future of the

Saudi music scene is bright.

As the scene continues to evolve, fostering a

closer relationship between event organizers and local authorities can help strike balance between creative freedom and regulatory compliance, ヽ( °∀°)人(°∀° )ノ

ultimately contributing to a thriving and diverse music landscape in the

Kingdom.

(￣︶￣ ;)

Aims, Shoots, Scores!

Pineapple Pappi

I was shutter happy from a young age when I got my first phone on my 10th birthday. It was a Motorola V6 Ferrari flip phone, such a major flex. I bombarded it with pictures of my Alexandria trip, probably more than 300 pictures of just the sunset! At the age of 16, I got my drivers license, so I would steal my dad’s Sony Ericsson CyberShot digital camera and drive out at sunrise aimlessly capturing everything on my way. I loved how the daybreak sun rays hit the morning dew-covered surfaces, pure artistic satisfaction. I would edit my pictures with no specific style - who would’ve thought all these awfully over-saturated and chaotically edited photos were leading to finding my own style. I accepted God’s gift as a visual artist with open arms and a broken ankle, playing basketball later that year. I had left photography to find what else I like doing. I found myself drawn to playing street basketball, practicing for 5 hours daily. I had found that my new hobby is still shooting - I was shooting hoops rather than photos. Then, I was injured and was confined to my bed for 3 months. This injury was a blessing in disguise, I had plenty of time to figure out what photography means to me.

When it was time to figure out where to go to college, I was thinking of the city of arts, Paris. Instead, I found myself exploring the jungles of Southeast Asia in Malaysia. While figuring university life out, I have yet again put the camera away to focus. I was a university student by day and a party monster by night. Having plenty of DJs as friends, it granted me access to bring my camera to clubs and shoot these moments for fun. Right there and then is the moment I fell in love with nightlife photography. You can’t fake good energy, that’s what I found inw nightlife photography while capturing people in their element. I created my unique style of light photography with the vintage look and feel. Fast forward to many more photoshoots and different photography styles later, I applied my skills and editing style in capturing major international artists such as Travis Scott, J Balvin and many more. With a click of a button, I preserved these moments forever hearing the crowds roaring, the beat dropping and the air electrifying. What a combination - I’m going out having a good time, I’m listening to music and working on my craft, all while making bank on the side. It brings me joy to see my shots being used locally and internationally for posts and posters – even as profile pictures and wallpapers! The support and love I’ve seen and felt along the years in my career is indescribable, and I’m blessed to be the eye that presents our community’s talents to the world and make it look good.

ヾ( ￣O￣)ツ

Female Musicians. And just that:

Unlearning with Seera. Heba Zaidan

to Seera’s performance. A backhanded acclaim, usually followed by the expectation of them being total flops. But surprised was the reaction audience members kept on coming back to, says the front woman Nora.

Through my shoddy wifi, I watched as Haya, sisters Heesh and Nora, and codename “the Thing” gather behind a laptop screen. Together they make the latest breakout band, Seera - an all woman music collective based in Riyadh. They kindly allowed me to interrupt their practice to ask them a few questions, in effort to paint a robust and poignant picture of being a woman in music.

“We didn't expect a lot of people to show up, to be honest, but it was a full house. Tickets were sold out. And which was a good indicator. But also it's more like a double edged sword. You do know people come to see you because they don't know about us. Our music isn't posted anywhere. So they may have come to see just to be curious about what are they going to be listening to? We got some feedback like, ‘Oh, we expected worse.’ ”

Seera made their debut - and only performance at the time of this interview - in 2023. With more articles under their belt than music released, the band was catapulted into the public eye in wake of their debut. I’ve seen their names floating around, whether tapping through Insta stories or scrolling through SceneNoise. Admittedly, I had never heard their music until I prepped to speak with them. To my surprise, their sound was a marriage between psychedelic, Arabesque and divinely feminine. ‘Surprised’ was the word people used often when describing their reaction

In a unified chorus, they exasperatedly sighed “Yeah” in agreement. Their voices cascaded in, with their chemistry obvious in their banter.

“They initially came just because a ‘woman rock? What's going on? I bet they're going to…’”

Her voice trailed off, as another voice finished her sentence,

“They're going to suck. Let's all go and see if they suck or not.” Aside from that, the general reception of Seera has been warm and uplifting. This was the anchor of their experience - genuine support from each other and the larger community. Through their enthusiasm, my cynicism persisted. I was sure there was something missing - it was almost impossible for me to conceive that a girl band in the Kingdom wasn’t receiving at least some backlash. Most criticism they received was the fact they weren’t receiving criticism - as members of the music community begrudged the women for not sinking years into the project before making headlines, associating the success of the project with the members’ gender. “A lot of musicians, specifically men, have been playing for a long time now, and they've been really breaking their box to be recognized. And then suddenly these four females come in, and just because they're female, they're going to get the spotlight? ‘What? Wait, how? They're not even that good. Oh, we expected worse.’ I'm sorry, but it's our time now. We've been at the back end of things”

of gender-based questions, they looked back at me blankly, like I was digging for gold in a sandbox. “Until now, we did not face any challenges yet. Plus, things have changed from the past. When we first started playing music, it was a bit harder to go out and be yourself and play music, especially as a female. But now things are opening up and it's very exciting. It's the perfect time” I was jumping through the usual hoops of gendered experience, hostility, gatekeeping - yet nothing seemed to resonate with their personal experience. They are fearless and ready to revolutionize alternative music in Riyadh. I asked what obstacles would be in the way of doing so, and with that Haya said

“We don’t see challenges, we see opportunities for growth”. Then it hit me - by tying the entire basis of the conversation to their gender, I too was treating the quality of their work as irrelevant. As they continued to veer into their music and inspirations, I would circle right back to their gender. I wanted to write about them as female musicians - not just musicians. By tethering their musical identity to their gender identity - I subconsciously disqualify any merit they have as serious rock-stars on the rise. Before speaking to them, I didn’t see Seera as a boundary pushing, genre bending collective of experimental musicians - I simply saw them as women.

(ｏ・_・)ノ”(ノ_<、) I probed them further to unearth the underbelly of misogyny within the scene. As I went down my endless list

Outside of our urban bubbles and insulated communities, experiences on and off stage are gendered. The gender disparity within the arts is

still glaring. But within our borders of the Saudi cultural renaissance, it’s as though gender is seen as an absolute nonfactor. Yet time and time again, as women in the Kingdom make headlines and cultural headways, their accomplishments are rendered down to gametes and chromosomes. We infantilize women this way, painting them as effervescent and wanderlustful birds with clipped wings. Then we champion ourselves by sticking our hand in the invisible cage, and allowing them to fly, so to speak. It’s a paradoxical form of retributive justice - to minimize the work of astonishingly talented and passionate women as a filled quota by overemphasizing the role that gender and gender oppression plays in the success, or failures, of their art. This is not to say Seera’s work is a-gendered - rather the purpose of the band is rooted in the female experience. “We want to be the role models that we did not have, one of our biggest goals or hopes is that we will be inspiring other women to pick up instruments” But to say the success of their project, or challenges as I clumsily tried to force, is tied to their gender, is antifeminist feminism at work. Allowing women to create, express and perform boldly without intellectualizing or politicizing the mere idea of them picking up a guitar might be our only avenue to true gender equity - allowing gender to be a lens in which art is created, rather than the full painting. After we exchanged pleasantries and hung up, I sat there utterly embarrassed by how willing, and insistent I was, to paint them as victims of their gender. Salivating over the idea of these women suffering for their art in the hands of evil men - not realizing that I was participating in the same behavior that minimizes the efforts of women in the scene.

“W that w bigge will b pick u

We want to be the role models we did not have, one of our est goals or hopes is that we be inspiring other women to up instruments”

So there I sat, having (un)learned so much more from this group of magical women than I ever intended. As I laid in bed that night, I giggled to myself - because they taught me, in the most profound way possible, that women really can be musicians. And just that.

Nightlife Galactica

Razan Alzayani

The dance floor at night represents a city in its most actualised state. It’s where society puts all their vulnerabilities on the table, from inequalities, gender dynamics, to social classism, to interpretations of freedom. It is always so incredibly intimate and telling. These scenes represent the cross pollination of politics, global influence, east-west culture dynamics, and the duality of celebration and uncertainty of a world post-covid. It’s in the subtle unspoken lingo in the way people dance, dress and pose. It’s through what music resonates with them and the tribes they choose to celebrate with. My focus was to strip the distractions of color and focus on the essence of that distillation on the dance floor; the true intersectional space of a new surreal musical renaissance movement happening in the Arab world. I’ve always been obsessed with mediums of documentation, and the art of documenting our region for us and by us. These 35mm film photos were taken in Riyadh at XP Music Futures and MDLBEAST Soundstorm in late 2022.

ﾍ(￣ー￣)ﾉ

CONCL

On our tour, city to city, we realized that there's more that brings the MENA music community together than sets us apart. The underlying motivations, our cultural inklings and our social biases mirror each other. And like a mirror image – while we are exactly the same – we face in opposite directions.

In Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, nestled comfortably in the lush economy of the Gulf, institutions and funding provide comfortable footing for creatives. The gaps in the industry are rapidly closing, as international experts, affluent locals and global institutions are joining forces to supercharge the creative economy. The level of support, on a governmental and private sector level, almost

LUSION

outweighs the amount of creatives and musicians necessary to keep it afloat. This level of involvement and oversight causes tensions and at times impedes the development of grassroots driven, underground communities. These communities are overwhelmed with the possibilities - and almost paralyzed by the handholding of these structures. The story is different in Amman and Cairo. With little government backing and scant funding, but incredible enthusiasm and industry potential – these music communities develop ingenious methods of intracommunity support. This leads to a level of frustration, and an invisible veil that keeps underground and DIY

communities running in circles. Years of such efforts leads to a culture of cynicism – with very little to be optimistic about. However, where there is a will, there is a way – and nothing embodies that more than the viciously talented communities of Cairo and Amman. Through crowdfunding, community support, and really taking a chance on themselves; these communities are raising themselves from the underground up. The fork in the road between Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Amman and Riyadh truly lies within two variables that set the tone of their respective music ecosystem. Where there is governmental support, we find strong institutions that uphold and accelerate the development of the music industry. In absence of such institutions - you find ingenuity, agility and a can-do attitude of organic grassroots initiatives.

RIYADH

ABU DHABI

CAIRO AMMAN

Table 1.1 Comparative study* of select music industries in the Middle East

THE LINE OF INSTITUT IS INTERSECTED WIT WHAT IS AN INSTI FUNDING? HOW D EDUCATION WITHO DO YOU EMPLOY E PAYROLL? HOW DO WITH NO REAL I IMPACTS OF A SLU TRICKLES DOWN TO - AS CULTURAL I DEPRIORITIZED AS A NOT A NECESSARY PI CREATIVE

TION TO GRASSROOTS TH COLD HARD CASH. ITUTION WITHOUT DO YOU RECEIVE OUT TUITION? HOW EXPERTS WITH NO O YOU INCENTIVIZE INCENTIVE? THE UGGISH ECONOMY O THE DANCEFLOOR INITIATIVES ARE A NICE-TO-HAVE, AND ILLAR OF A HEALTHY SOCIETY.