Al-Qasar Reimagines Retro Tracks on Arabic Psych-Rock LP ‘Uncovered’
On the seven-track record, Depeche Mode’s ‘Personal Jesus’ is sung in Turkish, while Sean Paul’s ‘Get Busy’ is sung in Arabic.
Fresh off their ‘Who Are We’ world tour, international psych-rock collective Al-Qasar returns with a new LP ‘Uncovered’, a retro-futuristic Arab psychedelia with one foot in the Mojave and the other in the Sahara.
‘Uncovered’, a side project of the group released under Wewantsounds Records, encompasses seven tracks, four of which cover classics from Western pop and Arabic folk repertoires through the collective’s signature futuristic Arabian fuzz sound.
Pulling elements from the hypnotic roots of North African trance and threading them into a transcontinental fabric, with the elaborate beauty of Arabic scales and the shock and thrill of rock ‘n roll, the record is a testament to the notion that covers can sound as genuine as originals, if not better, when done right.
The opening track ‘Kisisel Isa’ is a brain-melting Turkish treatment of Depeche Mode’s classic ‘Personal Jesus’. The track features Turkish artist Sibel on vocals and Thomas Attar, the mastermind behind the collective, playing the track’s iconic riffs on an electric saz, giving a more sensual and hypnotic vibe.
Tunisian Oud virtuoso Nada Mahmoud appears on two tracks, ‘Blue Tatouine’, an Alejandro Jodorowsky-esque sci-fi trip through the Sahara, and ‘Ssir W Ztam’, which is an Arabic cover of Sean Paul’s ‘Get Busy’, featuring Moroccan artist Sami Galbi with a pumping fusion of rai and shaabi rhythms. The classic Lebanese song ‘Bissaha Tlaqayna’ by the legendary composer Wadih El Safi turns into a pulse-pounding psych-rock anthem with sufi undertones, featuring the powerful vocals of Tunisian singer Mariam Hamrouni and relentless oud arrangements, courtesy of Algerian musician Mehdi Haddab.
Sudanese-American singer Alsarah’s soulful vocals appear on ‘Desse Barama’, a retro dub instrumental effort of the famed peace song by Nubian oud player El Din. Meanwhile, one of the standouts of the original tracks on the record is ‘Promises’, an afro-futuristic heavy-psychedelic tune in Bambara, featuring Malian singer Mamani Keita on lead vocals, accompanied by the renowned ‘Black Buddah’ Cheick Tidiane Seck on keys and backing vocals. The track touches on themes of commitment, calling out corrupted political leaders who do not hold their word through evocative lyricism.
Produced between Tunis, Lisbon, Los Angeles, London and Paris, ‘Uncovered’ tells the story of a world in flux, where various cultures collide into one cohesive body of work, further solidifying Al-Qasar’s brand of ‘Arabian fuzz’ - an explosive mix of Middle Eastern grooves, Western heavy psychedelia and North African trance.
