Scenenoise Podcast

For our Select 270, we brought in Egyptian music producer Ahmed Mokhles, aka El Mokh. Hailing from Al Mansoura, El Mokh has become recognized in the local music scene with his trademark lo-fi and electro-shaabi productions, fused with elements from drum ‘n bass and techno. For his select set, El Mokh opens with a gentle and ambient Lo-fi flow, dominated by soulful piano notes, portraying his calm side. Halfway through the set, the sound gradually transitions into a cacophony of grungy shaabi rhythms and percussion-infused electronic beats, capturing his other dark side.

This time on our Select series, we have rising Tunisian DJ Dali Chebili, aka Volka, who is also the co-founder of eclectic events series like Fantasy and Tri-City. His select set is a very minimal house mix, featuring rolling deep basslines, mellow synths, laid-back yet funky grooves with hints of smooth breaks, and raw cuts of rare 90s house gems here and there. It’s chill, refreshing and calling for a pool party (urgently).

In this episode of our Select series, we’re introducing Shadzo, an aspiring Egyptian DJ who has been a seasoned digger for over 20 years now. Heavily inspired by 80s Chicago and Detroit house, his set features a selection of funky and fun rare vinyl records such as ‘Foulard’ by Riccardo and ‘Le Velour’ by Shonky. It’s emotional, cathartic and groovy all at once. Speaking of the set, he says, “It is a spiritual message through sound, exploring the intersection between music and emotions, and our inner longing as humans to freely articulate our feelings.” The set was played during an art collaboration between a painter and musician, where the painter materialized the influence of the music on his emotional state on his canvas.

Rising Egyptian selector and avid vinyl digger, Ali Youssef - known for his eclectic niche underground sound, dabbling simultaneously between deep house and electro - brings an exclusive, thoughtfully curated all-vinyl mix of his favourite records to our select series. The set opens with an extended ambient melody with a voice-over by a TV presenter stating, aptly, “It’s not the form of the song that does the healing, it’s the state of the musician while making music that does.” A meditative melody ebbs and flows slowly throughout the set, intersected with swift breaks and chic transitions of minimal house, featuring crisp drum patterns and warm synths. It’s a sleazy chill groove that will get hips and shoulders twisting on their own.

On our 266th Select, we bring you Karam Touba, a Dubai-based selector, DJ, former resident at the Rave Movement parties, and current organizer of the Decibel DXB event series. He has been spinning in the region’s electronic music circuit since 2003, beginning his DJ career by playing drum ‘n bass and jungle before eventually venturing into techno. His sets usually feature selections of dark, deep and hypnotic musical pieces that create an everlasting impact on the dancefloor wherever he goes. Karam brings his signature ‘Proper Techno, No BS’ set to our Select series. The set is a 72-minute mix of pure classic rave vibe and straight-to-the-face techno smack. Better put on those shades for this one.

On this week’s Select, we have acclaimed DJ and music producer Amen Ra, who is known for promoting Egyptian musical heritage through his energetic and lively sets, blending elements from hip-hop, dance music and afrobeats. Amen Ra has previously worked with several high-profile artists and brands like Apple Music and Wizkid, performing at high calibre such as NBA all-star weekend and the Grammy Awards. His music has traversed prestigious dance floors across Cairo, Dubai, Los Angeles, New York, London and more. For Select 265, Amen Ra gets playful, delivering an eclectic mix of various edits and original mashups from his previous live performances, along with new exclusive remixes that he’s premiering on this set, like an amapiano edit of Amr Diab’s ‘Wala Ala Balo’ along with a shaabi edit of MGMT’s ‘Time To Pretend’.

This episode of our Select series comes courtesy of Dubai-based Egyptian selector and vinyl collector Mo Ezaby, who has become a staple in the local underground house scene with his dynamic sets. Along with being a DJ, Mo is the founder of Dubai’s eclectic night series Unfold, which aims to provide an intimate space for emerging regional talents to freely express their art and musical ideas, and grow a genuine music community. A deep minimal house with funky drum patterns, the set is perfect for a late afternoon chill pool party if you are having a lazy Saturday.

In our 263rd episode of Select, we’re bringing Montreal-based Bangladeshi singer, electronic music producer and DJ Dameer. Born in a musically-inclined household in Dhaka, Dameer’s sound is heavily inspired by the 80s and 90s music scene in Bangladesh, which he grew up listening to with his father, as well as the works of Tom Misch, J Dilla, Joe Pass and Loyle Carner. Dameer delivers us a versatile full-throttle techno set that opens with an ambient melody of rippling water and chirping birds, featuring original remixes of 70s, 80s, and 90s Bengali classics, spanning rap, hip-hop and more, alongside samples from Shabjdeed’s hit ‘Mtaktak’.

For Select 262, we have rising Egyptian DJ Ali Ghoneim aka Ak Ghoniem, introducing a fresh groovy take on classic tech-house. Opening with spacey atmospheric synths that slowly build up into a hypnotic crescendo of the soulful end of house, the set is peppered with danceable, long and repetitive melodies, 90s Detroit techno and elements of dub here and there. Ghoneim mixes in an eclectic selection of tunes from the likes of Andrew Azara, DASCO, Danny Snowden and Paige Tomlinson, adding more spice to the set.

Cairo-based DJ-turned-producer Mike Pham is taking over our Select series this week with one of his signature progressive house sets, mixing in four-on-the-floor kicks and claps with moving synth layers and atmospheric pads. It’s a sweet treat, bringing the dreamy cool vibes of early summer nights (best savoured with a mimosa in hand). Pham has become a force to be reckoned with in the region’s dance music circuit. His sets have been traversing the dancefloors of some of the most prestigious venues across Cairo, Jeddah and beyond. He has also previously shared the decks with a slew of prominent global DJs the likes of Marco Carola, Sama, Stephan Bodzin and Birds of Mind.

Select 260: Hisham Zahran by SceneNoise

In this episode of our Select series, we delve into the world of Peaky Beats, a British producer and DJ with Iraqi heritage. Peaky Beats infuses his sets with a tapestry of Arabic genres intertwined with the expansive spectrum of UK bass music. Peaky's vinyl and digital mix weaves tracks from his debut 2LP album 'BLOODLINES' with classic dubstep elements like ‘Changes’ by Mala and ‘Surgery’ by dubstepper Kromestar and more.

In this episode of our Select series, we have Egyptian rising DJ Ram, whose dynamic sets are peppered with influences from UK garage music. Ram has cooked an infectious minimal house mix for us, layered with melodic textures, rolling rhythmic beats and bouncy hit-hats. The set is light and chill, just the right amount to get you groovy if you are feeling lazy this Saturday morning.

Egyptian DJ Magdolina draws inspiration from the jumbled sounds of the bustling streets of his hometown of Cairo to craft dynamic techno sets, featuring rolling beats, gritty drum patterns and electro. For our Select 257, Magdolina brings us an hour set of versatile and experimental sounds, exploring new sonic territories. The set features memorable hard-hitting basslines and infectious breaks along with a fine selection of famous tunes by prominent global producers like Ploy, INVT, Doctor Deep and Pura Pura.

Philippe Zarif, aka Boshoco, is currently one of the pioneering DJs and producers in the Syrian electronic dance music scene. Born and raised in Aleppo, Boshoco drew inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of his hometown to craft a distinctive playful sound. Imbued with sweltering rhythms and infectious grooves, Boshoco’s sets skillfully blend left-field electronics with contemporary Arab music. For our Select 255, the Syrian producer created an exclusive 45-minute set for us in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. He recorded the set at his house, and played it on the first recording gear he owned at the early start of his career. The set features a slew of eclectic tracks by various prominent Arab producers such as Shabjdeed, Hello Psychaleppo and Postdrone.

Dubai-based music fanatic, collector and DJ Alessandra has been spinning across the MENA region’s underground dance music scene from a very young age. She has previously co-organized several eclectic parties with Berlin’s Breakfast on Mars collective. On this episode of our Select series, Alessandra delivers a thoughtfully curated blend of 90s sounds, from house and electro to breakbeats and trance, featuring some low-tempo ambient beats that will have you grooving till the very last minute. The set features famous tunes like Slowtime in Reflection’s ‘Space Dimension Controller’, Ageipolis’ ‘Aphex Twin’ and more.

On this episode of Select, we have Kamyar Khanzaei aka RING & K-Dub, the Iranian electronic music producer, visual artist and DJ who founded Sampatic Records. Since its inception in 2016, Kamyar’s label has been amplifying the diverse sounds of Tehran's music scene globally. Besides actively DJing and hosting eclectic events in Iran and Turkey, Kamyar also manages NoHradioTehran and TUS.SHOW. His set is a mix of club electro, dub techno and minimal techno with a splash of influences from his Iranian cultural heritage.

Jeddah-based DJ Anmarz - a house-head through and through - has been spinning since the 90s from the coastal city of Oregon to Saudi Arabia and beyond, showcasing at some of the most prestigious clubs and festivals across the globe. Now, as a resident at Gabu Records and a co-founder of 9Sicksick and Mirkaz, Anmarz has been playing a pivotal role in Saudi Arabia’s thriving underground music scene. On this episode of Select, Anmarz brings us his signature deep, jazzy, jacking sound, featuring hip-hop undertones and West Coast/Chicago house influences. Proceed with caution.

Whether she is spinning at underground parties or famous clubs and venues, Dubai-based French-Iranian DJ Parvané, aka Parv, dominates the decks with her euphoria-inducing sets. Blending a wide range of genres into one juicy cacophony, her sound swiftly shifts from Miami Bass, Breakbeat and UKG to Chicago house, Ghetto tech with afro and Brazilian funky undertones. For our Select 252, Parv cooked us a bouncy mix of Baile funk, featuring sweeping basslines, sharp breakbeats and tunes like 1950’s ‘Gimme’ that will make you fall in love with music all over again.

On this episode of Select, we have up-and-coming Lebanese DJ Lyss, who has been firing decks from Beirut to Paris and beyond with her versatile and dynamic sets, seamlessly blending house, techno, and trance with balearic and electro. Her select set, which she recorded on a DJR 400 mixer and two CDJs Nexus 2 at the famed Djoon Club, beautifully encapsulates the raw ecstasy of a packed dance floor. Peppered with influences from UK dance music, it softly opens with some juicy ambient beats backed by sweltering synths as a warm-up, gradually building up to then unfurl in a cluster of energetic progressive rhythms, with some sharp breakbeats that swerve, bend and hit the spine. The set features eclectic club-ready tunes like ‘Rythm’ by Rippin’ L.P., Kylie Minogue’s ‘Believe in U’ (PTMC ADHAD Edit) and more.