After one listen, it is easy to see why this funky Arabic mixtape has received over 35,000 clicks during its first week on SoundCloud. Posted by Jannis of Germany's Jakarta Records and made up entirely of records, it is a seriously good listen.
The sometimes-ethereal mix features vinyl from Morocco, Libya, Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon and Syria, with a sound alternating from experimental to classical Arabic to rock-and-roll to Arabic groove. It features iconic Arabic songs as well as ones that have yet to be "rediscovered." For anyone interested in 60s and 70s Arabic funk, it is a must-listen.
On the SoundCloud post, Jannis explains how he came across these records and the inspiration behind the mixtape:
"I got to travel a lot in North Africa in the last years through touring with Blitz the Ambassador and the studio session with Oddisee for Sawtuha in Tunisia. While being there I did some digging and found some incredible music from the 60s and 70s. Some of the music in this mix has zero info on the net, was never sold on eBay and has not been "rediscovered" yet. Others are somewhat classics in the field of 'Arabic Groove.'"
We like. Lucky for us, there is a part one as well, which was released last year.