Syrian Producer Hello Psychaleppo Redefines Electro-Tarab on 'Cipher'

Hello Psychaleppo, aka Samer Eldahr, is a multi-instrumentalist and producer hailing from Syria who introduced a fresh sound in his early releases. With a fresh approach that viewed Tarab, a cornerstone of traditional Arabic music, through a contemporary lens, Hello Psychaleppo placed Tarab in a predominantly electronic landscape.

Hello Psychaleppo returns with his latest album ‘Cipher’, his first full length album since 2017. Delving deeply into abstract electronic production, the album introduces a new and more evolved sound that draws from his original works but takes it further towards abstraction. The tracks incorporate industrial elements and venturing into drum’n’bass and various abstract electronic sounds, from trip-hop to experimental.

The nine-track record features various collaborations to help Hello Psychaleppo realise his vision for Arabic music, presenting these voices in an unfamiliar sonic landscape that is executed with meticulous production and a significant degree of experimentation.

In the album's opening track ‘Katha Altawq’, Hello Psychaleppo collaborates with Anas Maghrebi, who delivers traditional vocal segments over a richly layered soundscape infused with deep and poetic synth textures. The production’s unconventional structure, which doesn’t adhere to a clear format, allows the vocals to take centre stage, drawing the listener's focus. This approach is also evident in another collaboration on the album with Yafa Bakri on 'Marat Betmanna', one of the singles released prior to the album.

The track 'Goal' emerges as one of the album's highlights due to its intricate production, which layers acoustic oud melodies within a fast-paced sonic environment that oscillates between drum and bass and elements of rock.

Hello Pyschaleppo teams up with Syrian rapper Bu Nasser Touffar on the track 'Jaasoos', where Bu Nasser’s rap is set against a soundscape dominated by industrial and noisy musical elements. This results in a unique rap experience midway through the album, one that diverges completely from Tarab yet remains consistent with the album’s overall sonic cohesion.

One of the album's standout moments is the track 'Moussaka', where he collaborates with an artist who fuses traditional Gnawa with powerful electronic production, accompanied by robotic voices and laser-like synth glitches. The album also features the return of Hamed Sinno, the vocalist of Mashrou' Leila, who delivers a cover of the iconic song 'El Helwa Di'. The track features dreamy and minimalist production, providing Hamed Sinno the space to fully showcase his unique voice and delivery.

Electro-Tarab is the genre most associated with Hello Psychealeppo, which he initially introduced at the start of his career. However, in this album, he delves deeper into the intricacies of his electronic production and sonic identity, where the fusion of traditional Arabic music with electronica is not the primary focus, even if it is present throughout the album. Instead, the producer establishes himself as a seasoned electronic music creator, capable of blending diverse musical elements into entirely new forms that blur the boundaries between genres.