NoiseRecords' 'Manshaa' Spotlights MENA's Groundbreaking Sounds

After over 10 years of reporting on the development of the MENA region’s music industry, understanding and adapting to the seismic changes it has undergone, and spotlighting extraordinary talents that have risen to regional and international notoriety, SceneNoise has launched NoiseRecords - a progressive music label and launchpad dedicated to supporting the careers of up-and-coming musicians across the Middle East and North Africa.

The label’s first release ‘Manshaa’ is a Various Artist Album featuring 13 tracks from 18 cutting-edge Arab artists across 10 countries. The record is an ambitious labour of love that traverses a wild tapestry of genres and emerging sounds from the region. Translating to ‘Genesis’ or ‘Origin’, ‘Manshaa’ features tracks by established and up-and-coming artists from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Kuwait, Morocco, Tunisia, Syria and the UAE.

The album is representative of the sounds SceneNoise has championed over the past decade and hints at the direction of future releases for NoiseRecords - featuring artists that have broken the boundaries of their genres and made an impact in their respective local scenes.

From Jordanian Big Murk’s raucous syncopated Arabic Garage in ‘7aggo Masaree’ to Emirati singer Abri’s deeply soulful falsetto in ‘The Edge’, and from Sudanese-Kuwaiti producer Goldplates' driving post-club heavy metal in ‘I Bring The Pain’ to Lebanese artist Gharam Electric’s glittering Arab-futuro pop in ‘Mozza’, the diverse musicality showcased on ‘Manshaa’ enthrals listeners on a sonic rollercoaster.

Tunisian rappers Koast and 4lfa bring silky smooth bars to ‘Wish List’, while Egyptian live act Chiati delves into emotive electronica with ‘In the Dark’, as Egyptian fan-favourite El Waili delivers an insatiably quirky groover in ‘Tamatem’.

Rising Egyptian singer-songwriter Juno presents a stunning heartfelt ditty in ‘Starburst’, while prolific Tunisian producer Ratchopper crafts a kind of pixelated jazz for ‘Allaoui Man’. Syrian producer Hello Psychalleppo contributes a maqam-tinged dub-techno banger in ‘Off’, and artist-producer Fulana from Saudi Arabia offers a dramatic and infectious electro-rock experience with ‘Ya Thalam Ya Kabes’.

Eclectic Moroccan duo De Ville provides a stuttering Raï-inspired, auto-tune-drenched funk-ballad with ‘Liberti’. Not to be missed is the smokey new wave trap free-for-all courtesy of Ka2en Records' Kamikazem, Ge11o, Mabeyn & Lil Abad in ‘Hadaf’.

The visual identity for ‘Manshaa’ was developed in collaboration with Egyptian-German design house NTSAL, capturing the essence of each track and artist with mesmerising cover art featuring custom calligraphy, geographical-inspired stamps and design elements inspired by the region’s visual language found on tiles, walls and textiles. Meanwhile, each nuanced 3D model of the artists’ heads adapts to the universe within which it’s born, draped in a fitting material, from sand and stone to porcelain and rubber.

NoiseRecords’ ‘Manshaa’ is now available on all streaming platforms distributed with MDLBEAST Records via Empire WANA.

Proceeds from the album will be donated to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.