SceneNoise

Joining us this week on Select is UAE-based Lebanese-born selector and producer Tarek B with a dynamic house set, mixing micro and minimal elements with relentless groovy basslines and the occasional electro break. The set features a slew of eclectic tunes by global producers and artists such as tINI’s ‘So High’, Last Pines’ ‘Go Ahead’ and DJ Gear Hoover’s ‘Studio Gear’.

Having been manning decks since 2017, Tarek’s sets have traversed dancefloors at some of the region’s top clubs and festivals, from Dubai and Beirut to Istanbul, Amman, Riyadh and more, spinning at the likes of B018, Snoopy Beats and Boogie Box. He’s also played Boiler Room Abu Dhabi and Ibiza’s Blue Marlin club.

This week on Select, we have a special set from Ramy Tsuruta, a Japanese-Lebanese selector, producer, and founder of party collective and record label deependofthepool.

Raised experimenting with the analog machines of his father, Tsuruta established a dynamic and unpredictable style, influenced by the sound of cities like Beirut, Budapest, Tokyo and Berlin.

His select set starts off with a toned-down house beat shimmering amidst atmospheric sounds that feel quite earthly and meditative. It then smoothly transitions into a wholly unique mix of analog sounds, encompassing 80s/90s electro, techno, house and new beat.

This week on Select we have S!Na, a NYC-based German-born Syrian/Sudanese selector with a weighty drum-heavy bass dub mix, inspired by the spirit of the New York underground scene. Rooted in a deep meditative groove, the set explores the different ranges of bass, featuring hypnotic rhythms and a dub edit of Anunaku & DJ Plead’s ‘Clap Clap’, as a personal nod to her Syrian roots.

In this episode of Select, we have Amman-based Palestinian DJ, producer and rapper Shalaby with a special rave-coded mix of UK bass, techno and grime. The set features hard-hitting rhythms, complex drum patterns, fresh sharp transitions and a fine selection of hip-hop tracks from his favourite producers and rappers in the MENA region, the likes of Shabash, DJ Gawad and Ziad Zaza.

For our 295th Select , we have a special showcase set from Cairo Jazz Club 610’s Disco-Tech, a party series dedicated to revitalizing the intersection between tech-house and disco.

Skillfully curated and mixed by Disco-Tech’s budding residents Moenes (who’s also the series’ co-founder), Jess, Mazen A, and Muze, the set will take you on a groovy glide with razor-sharp transitions, packed with heavy, funky beats and the warm soulfulness of 90s disco tunes, akin to the uplifting vibes of Disco-Tech parties.

This week’s Select comes courtesy of Cairo-based artist Hashem. As one of the few rock selectors in the underground scene, Hashem has carved a niche for himself with his dynamic sets, merging various sounds from rock and disco to synths and electro. When he is not behind the decks, Hashem is a singer-songwriter recognised for his smooth alternative synth-pop releases like ‘Other Clone’, ‘Kolena Benmel Fe Youm’ and ‘Bases, Mesh Shayel’.

His Select set showcases a fresh, intriguing style that’s distinctly his own, meshing threads of different genres into one cohesive sonic spectrum that’s intense, powerful and thoroughly enjoyable. The set is a mixture of bass, left-field sounds and electro, featuring 80s sonic aesthetics combined with fast-paced beats, prominent bass drums, and heavy basslines along with a few trap samples. An infectious growling bass emerges in the first quarter of the set, followed by a selection of eclectic tunes like Julmud’s ‘Kalma’’, ‘Zein’ by Hassan Abou Allam, and 200 Shams’ ‘Atmana A5taf Youm’.

On this week’s Select, we have Saudi selector Haffs, one of the most promising talents who has been dominating the Kingdom’s dance music scene over the past few years. She has played at major festivals and venues in Saudi the likes of SoundStorm, XP Music Futures and Beast House.

Inspired by the unsullied human-earth connection and the serene tranquillity found in the historical oasis of AlUla, Haffs’ select set is a harmonious synergy of deep, melodic house and organic oriental rhythms. The set features a melodic intro of dreamy piano notes, transitioning into atmospheric and tribal sounds interspersed with soft vocals of that ebb and flow, resembling the natural reverb of the desert’s mountains. The set features tunes by a slew of international producers such as Storm, Heart Pieces, Qallin and Dreamland.

This week’s Select comes courtesy of Cairo-based selector Mahmoud Okasha (AKA Zeft Funk), who has been helping Egypt’s top dancefloors groove over the last four years with his distinct blend of italo disco, acid house, textured bass-heavy sounds and eclectic tunes pulled from his own secret collection.

For his Select set, Zeft Funk delivers an hour-long mix of fancy funk tunes and pulse-bounding acid, disco and groovy house. The set kicks off with spoken words of the classic intro of radio broadcasting in Cairo, which then wafts through a fire mix of Lineat’s ‘InsBLaue’. The set is a treasure trove of irresistibly danceable grooves, featuring some of Zeft Funk’s favourite tunes like ‘Bigboy Exercises’ by Schwarzfahrer, ‘Self Loathing Rulz’ by Shout Out Out Out, and more.

For Select 285, we have veteran techno DJ and producer Anthon, a prominent figure in the Lebanese underground music scene, recognized for mastering the craft of dark edgy big room sounds, as well as his ominous twisted techno productions, which are infused with shadows drawn from his own life experiences.

Anthon is the founder of one of Beirut’s burgeoning party series, Deep Department, which has been running since 2015. He has done his rounds at some of Lebanon’s most famous clubs and venues, from The Grand Factory and The Garten to AHM, Harbor, Ballroom Blitz and B018. He has also showcased at prestigious clubs across the globe, including Berlin’s Suicide Circus, Montpellier’s PZ Club, as well as Klub Der Republik with the Cluck Im Ohr crew. He has shared the decks with a roster of globally acclaimed artists like Sam Paganini, Boris Brejcha, Dubfire, Stephan Bodzin, Marco Bailey, Reinier Zonneveld, and Victor Ruiz, just to name a few.

His extensive discography boasts several EPs, released on famed labels like Mango Alley, UNSEEN Records, Timeless Moment, Phobia and Phobiq. His works also appeared on various artist compilations alongside prominent artists such as Hernan Cattaneo, Citizen Kain, The Element, Oscar L, Blancah, Ten Walls, Soul Button, Space Motion and many more.

For his select set, Anthon delivers a dark melodic techno mix, rich with warm synth layers, deep basslines and atmospheric soundscapes.

For this week’s Select, we have Berlin-based underground DJ/producer duo Marko & Bene, aka Longhair. Arguably one of the leading figures in the electronic dance scene, they’re known for their devilishly pumping and harmoniously uplifting sets that dabble in versatile shades of hazy house, with influences that range from disco and balearic to trance and electro. Earlier this year, the duo released ‘Surf & Turf’ EP on the famed London-based label OPIA Records, a deep and progressive house fusion of futuristic funk and dreamy rave nostalgia across four cuts.

For their select set, Longhair came in with a pulse-pounding house set, featuring psychedelic layers, acid-licks and rousing synth-heavy grooves with hip-thrusting kicks, combined with a subtle pinch of trance-like repetitive rhythms. The set features tunes by famous international producers such as Eddie Richards, Nanami Togarashi and Hidden Spheres.