Tag: world music

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Dmc Reigns Shares Woozy “Wahala”

Dmc Regins is a rising Nigerian-born, Berlin-based artist, who blends Afro-fusion with spiritual and contemporary influences. His music draws from early experiences in church, where he began singing when he turned nine, under the guidance of his mother, a choir leader. By the time he turned 12, he was writing his own songs, later experimenting with hip-hop and Afro-pop influences while he was in school.

Although he later went on to study medicine, music was a constant presence. After completing his studies, he decided to fully pursue music, building momentum through early social media releases and grassroots support, with his siblings among his first listeners.

He relocated to Berlin to 2022 and since then, the rising Nigerian artist’s sound has continued to evolve, influenced by a diverse and eclectic scene while still remaining rooted in his early musical foundations, combining faith, identity and cultural storytelling into a distinctive artistic voice.

The Nigerian-born, Berlin-based artist’s latest single “Wahala,” is a genre-defying yet hook-driven tune that sees him blending elements of classic highlife with woozy neo-soul and electro pop. The track was born from a fortuitous studio accident: While collaborating with producer AceKeyz on a separate project, AceKeyz mistakenly send Dmc Reigns a beat originally intended for OdumoduBlvck. Rather than return the beat, the Nigerian-born, Berlin-based artist seized the moment and took advantage.

“At first, I wasn’t sure, since it was a highlife beat with a cultural dynamic. I decided to experiment,” Dmc Regins explains. “I blended that classic highlife with a modern twist. As soon as I finished it and AceKeyz told me how much he loved it, I knew it was a vibe.”

Sonically, “Wahala,” which means “trouble” in Nigerian Pidgin English, evokes the intoxicatingly woozy push-and-pull of a toxic, intense and deeply fucked up relationship or situationship in which both parties are inexplicably drawn to each other, and yet they know better.

Video by William Ruben Helms

Live Footage: The Limiñanas Perform “One Blood Circle” at Because Beaubourg

Founded back in 2009, acclaimed Cablestany, France-based duo The Limiñanas — Lionel Limiñana (guitar) and Marie Limiñana (drums) — have firmly established a sound that meshes French yéyé with contemporary garage and psych rock with lyrics sung in French and English.

Through their collaborations with a diverse array of artists, the French duo have a unique ability to distill the cachet of a nostalgic, highly cinematic era while revisiting it with through a modern lens. They’ve built up an international profile through collaborations with The Brian Jonestown Massacre‘s Anton Newcombe and New Order‘s Peter Hook.

During their early years, their material was released through labels here in the States; for a while, they had a much bigger profile Stateside than their native France. And adding to a growing international profile, they have high-profile admirers ranging from Primal Scream and Franz Ferdinand to Iggy Pop, who regularly plays them on his BBC 6 Music show.

After a 2015 collaborative album with Pascal Comeleade, the duo signed to French label Because Music, who re-issued their catalog in Europe. And since then they’ve continued to captivate audiences and critics globally through extensive touring across Europe, the UK and Australia.

The duo celebrate their extensive catalog with the release of their first live album, Live at Beaubourg, which is slated for a June 19, 2026 release through Because Music. Recoded during an exceptional weekend at Centre Pompidou, Live at Beaubourg brings the psych rock sounds of the acclaimed French duo with the visuals of contemporary artist SMITH.

The collaboration between The Limiñanas and Smith goes back to Normandie Impressionniste 2024. Festival director Philippe Platel thought it would be a great idea to bring both artists together. “I had already been listening to The Limiñanas for a long time, so I was delighted,” he says. At the time, the duo were working on their most recent effort, Faded, an album dedicated to Golden Era Hollywood actresses, who are no longer with us. This resonated with SMITH’s work, which often employs the use of thermal cameras. “What the camera sees is not the body but the heat it gives off, a kind of aura left behind before it disappears,” Smith says. That’s exactly what Faded is about: bringing these ghosts back through music.

Conceived to match the architecture and energy of Because Beaubourg, where the label turns the museum into a playground where performances, carte blanche events and even DJ sets from the likes of Thomas Bangalter and Fred Again.. , Live at Beaubourg serves as the only recording from that weekend and was envisioned as a documentary of the event, rather than a simple live “best of” album.

SMITH and the acclaimed French duo had imagined a collaborative show that would take place October 24, 2025 during Because Beaubourg at Centre Pompidou. The album captures the hypnotic eight-song performance in a continuous flow, featuring a backing band of five musicians and their longtime collaborator Pascal Comeleade playing songs across their catalog. That’s right, no interruptions. “What I love about live shows is achieving a kind of trance naturally through the performance. We had agreed there would be no interruption in the sound, with a ceremonial aspect as well, since we were closing Beaubourg before renovations,” Lionel Limiñana says.

Along with the album announcement, the duo will be embarking on their first-ever North American tour. The tour includes an October 24, 2026 stop at Le Poisson Rouge. And of course, the rest of the tour dates are below. But in the meantime, the acclaimed French duo shared a live version of broodingly cinematic “One Blood Circle,” featuring their longtime collaborator Pascal Comeleade. Anchored around a persistent and relentless pulse, “One Blood Circle” evokes the unease, dread and brutality of our late-stage capitalist, fascistic hellscape. And fittingly, SMITH’s visuals are haunting yet profoundly gorgeous.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Calle Mambo and Kumbia Boruka Team Up on Dance Floor Friendly “Acordéon Rebelde”

Formed back in 2013, Valparaiso, Chile-based dectet Calle Mambo blend the richness and diversity of Latin American folkloric music — quena, quenacho, cuatro, charango, tiple, timbal, zampoña, ronroco and more — with urban music and electronic production to create something unique and personal.

Lyon-based octet Kumbia Boruka features musicians from Mexico, Chile, Argentina and France but the band’s roots lie in Monterrey, Mexico, where cumbia is the sound of the streets — and where Mexican cumbia legend Celso Piña was born. Kumbia Boruka bandleader Hernán Cortés learned accordion from the legend and accompanied him on international tours. Fittingly, Kumbia Boruka’s sound is inspired by and reflects the sound of Monterrey and Mexico but they blend the classic cumbia sound with reggae, dub, tropical and psychedelia. The band’s arrangements feature an extensive rhythm section including guacharaca and congas, a brass section, and of course, the accordion.

The result is a bold, new take on cumbia that pairs power, tropical sounds with a fierce energy that embraces Latin American rhythms.

The Chilean dectet and the French octet teamed up for “Acordéon rebelde.” Released last month, the collaboration is a Vulcan mind-meld between the two acts that boldly pushes the boundaries of cumbia with subtle nods to surf rock and tropicalia while showcasing both acts knack for crafting catchy hooks.

“Acordéon rebelde” was written as a tribute to the legendary Celso Piña. Both bands feature members, who have played with him during his “Cumbia Around the World” tour, which gives the song a deeply human connection to its subject while being indebted to him.

Calle Mambo will be embarking on a lengthy European Union tour. Tour dates, as always, will be below.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: JOVM Mainstay Alewya Shares Broodingly Cinematic “Eshi”

JOVM mainstay Alewya is an acclaimed London-based singer/songwriter, producer and visual artist. Born in Saudi Arabia to an Egyptian-Sudanese father and an Ethiopian mother, the acclaimed London-based artist has spent her life surrounded by diaspora immigrant communities: She grew up in West London and after a several year stint in New York, she returned to London. Upon her return home, the Saudi-British artist developed and honed her ear for music through the sounds of the Ethiopian and Arabic music of her parents and the ambient and alternative rock albums of her brother.

She’s part of a generation of artists actively redefining global music, a generation that’s generally rooted in heritage, yet unbound by it. Describing herself as a painter, who makes music, Alewya approaches sound as texture and feeling, guided more by intuition than structure. Her sound and story help to widen the Black British frame, bringing the often under heard North and East African perspective into a much-needed focus.

Back in 2020, the JOVM mainstay burst into the scene with an attention grabbing feature on Little Simz‘s “where’s my lighter,” which caught the attention of Because Records, who signed the rising artist and released her critically applauded debut, 2021’s Panther In Mode EP.

Alewya’s highly-anticipated full-length debut, ZERO is slated for a June 26, 2026 release through Because London Records. The album reportedly embodies years of artistic growth into an effort that’s both deeply personal and sonically expansive. But the album also marks a significant milestone, as it sees her boldly stepping into a new creative era, defined by fearless experimentation and cultural fluidity.

ZERO will include the previously released “Night Drive,” feat. Dagmawit Ameha and “City of Symbols,” along with the album’s third and latest single “Eshi.” “Eshi” weaves broodingly atmospheric electronics, shimmering keys thumping beats and gnawa-like percussion with a looping figure played on an Eritrean and Ethiopian instrument, masenqo, a single-stringed bowed lute that features a diamond-shaped resonator. Alewya’s expressive delivery ethereally floats over the song’s widescreen production and instrumentation as it builds up and intensifies to a chant-driven crescendo. The result is a song that feels woozily anachronistic, in the sense that it draws from ancient traditions and pairs them with contemporary, Western/pop-influenced sounds and production techniques. “Eshi is rooted in tradition but unbound by it too, which is one of the pillars of ZERO,” Alewya explains.

The accompanying video was co-directed and co-produced by Yonas Tadesse, Frehiwot Berhane, Tedos Teffera and Alewya, and was shot in Lalibela, Ethiopia, during the celebration of Gena, Ethiopian Orthodox Christmas. The gorgeous, cinematically shot video captures and reinforces a strong sense of community and culture, both of which are central and defining forces in the JOVM mainstay’s work.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: La Sécurité Returns with a Breakneck Ode to Food

Acclaimed Montréal-based JOVM mainstay collective La Sécurité — Éliane Viens (vocals, synths, percussion and drums), Félix Bélisle (bass, synths, percussion, piano and production), Kenny Smith (drum, guitar), Laurence Anne Charest-Gagné (guitar, percussion, vocals) and Melissa Di Menna (guitar, synths, vocals, percussion and artwork) — specialize in a brand of art punk that’s equal parts jumpy beats, off-kilter arrangements and minimalistic melodic hooks run through an insomniac filter that’s the result of excessive exposure to the city’s neon-lit late night scene. 

The Canadian art punk collective’s music is about living dangerously and is prefect for being blasted at deafening levels on dance floors. But lyrically, the material is deeply inspired by and shares the ethos of the Riot Grrl movement, celebrating and defiantly advocating for the autonomization of women, friendship and benevolence. 

Since the release of 2023’s full-length debut, Stay Safe!, which landed on the Polaris Music Prize long-list, the Montréal-based art punks have released 2024’s Stay Safe! REMIXED and last year’s “Detour” and “Ketchup.” Along with receiving critical praise both nationally and internationally, the outfit has made the run of the intentional festival circuit, playing sets at M for Montréal, New Colossus Festival, SXSW, End of the Road, The Great Escape, Reeperbahn and Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. They’ve toured as an opener for The Go! Team and The Rapture. And they’ve shared stages with Mauskovic Dance Band and JOVM mainstays Automatic and Death Valley Girls. During that whirlwind period, they also signed with Simon Raymonde‘s label Bella Union. 

The JOVM mainstay act’s highly-anticipated, Emmanuel Éthier and Félix Bélisle co-produced sophomore album Bingo! is slated for a June 12, 2026 release through Mothland in Canada and the States, and Bella Union for the rest of the world. The new album reportedly sees the band continuing to meander in and around the fringes of punk, new wave krautrock and dance punk, while mischievously flouting stylistic form every change they get. While continuing to implement polyrhythm, counterintuitive chord changes and subtle melodic and harmonic dissonance, the album reportedly sees them introducing more New Wave, no wave, noise rock and shoegaze elements to the sound that has won them intentional acclaim. 

The album’s material features songs that tackles knotty themes like mental health, the autonomization of women, dysfunctional relationships with their custom moxie. Other songs playfully muse about food or address everyday mundanity with sarcasm and irony. There’s a song that celebrates unsung heroes, like the elderly. Much like its predecessor, many of the album’s tracks saw the group improvising lyrics in the studio, effectively catching lightning in a bottle. 

The album was recorded with the band playing life off-the-floor, using rare ribbon microphones and vintage compressors. Adding to the overall free-flowing feel and vibe to the album’s material, many of the song’s hooks were improvised through jazz-tinged musical flights during recording sessions. The album was mixed by Bélisle and Étheir before being mastered by Robin Schmidt. 

The result is an album that harnesses the Montréal-based art punks’ natural sound, a sound that fuses calculated musical chaos and musicality with high decibels. 

Bingo! will feature the previously released “Detour” “Ketchup,” and the title track “Bingo,” which was released earlier this year, as well as the album’s latest single “Snack City.” “Snack City” is a breakneck mix of punk rock and post punk with overt nods to Freedom of Choice-era Devo. The result is a mischievously absurdist and fidgety tune about primal, downright glutinous needs and desires.

“We wrote the song when we were hungry,” the band explains. “The segment ‘J’ai faim, j’ai faim, […],’ which translates to: ‘I’m hungry, I’m hungry, […]’ was the basis of the scat singing that remained. We had fun with food anecdotes, food-related puns, etcetera.”

Continuing their ongoing collaboration with director Phillipe Beauséjour, the accompanying video for “Snack City” is inspired by snacking and past era cookbooks and features collage animation spliced with imagery and footage of the band on tour — sometimes eating or snacking.  “The band wanted a music video with images taken from their cellphones, including photos and videos from their tours. I found the challenge very fun, considering that the most interesting content was already done,” Beauséjour explains. “So, I created a universe inspired by scrapbooking, using what I could find in my multiple 60s and 90s cookbooks. I still wanted to bring a touch of animation, by constructing Éliane’s face several times with food. A little inspired by Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s ‘Summer.’”

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Choses Sauvages Shares Shimmering “Seul”

Last year, rising Montréal-based outfit Choses Sauvages — La Sécurité‘s Félix Bélisle (vocals, synths), Totalement Sublime‘s Marc-Antoine Barbier (guitar), Theirry Malépart (keys), Tony Bélisle (keys), Philippe Gauthier-Boudreau (drums) and Frais Dispo‘s Charles Primeau (bass) — released their third album, Choses Sauvages III through Audiogram.

The album, which featured album singles “Incendie au paradis,”En joue,” and “Cours toujours” showcased a decidedly post-punk sound that featured elements of post-punk, New Wave and krautrock. Released to praise from critics across Quebec and Europe, Choses Sauavages III landed on the 2025 Polaris Music Prize Long List and received an ADISQ nomination for Album of the Year — Alternative.

The Montréal-based outfit has played in France, Spain, Belgium, the UK, Germany and Mexico. Back in 2023, they toured as the opener for The Bright Light Social Hour‘s 30 date tour, which saw the JOVM mainstays playing across the US and Anglophone Canada that included a stop at Mercury Lounge. And adding to a growing national and international profile, the band has made the run of the international festival circuit with sets at Pitchfork Music Festival Paris, Printemps de Bourges, MaMA, Pete The Monkey, Mad Cool — and earlier this year, The New Colossus Festival.

“Seul,” their first bit of new material since last year’s Choses Sauvages III, continues a run of hook-driven, shimmering post punk — but while showcasing subtle No Wave elements with bursts of funky horns.

“’Seul’ deals with limerence and the romanticization of toxic relationships. This song is a question directed both outward and inward—a moment when the obsession with finding answers to matters of the heart embraces the vulnerability of a lost child in a shopping mall,” Choses Sauvages’ Félix Bélisle explains. “These emotional states unfold against a sonic backdrop that is at once danceable and abrasive, drawing inspiration from the New York No Wave movement.”

Video by William Ruben Helms

Throwback: Happy 90th Birthday, Lee “Scratch” Perry!

JOVM’s William Ruben Helms celebrates the 90th anniversary of the birth of Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Tinariwen Shares Urgent “Erghad Afewo”

Pioneering Grammy Award-winning, Tuareg musical pioneers and JOVM mainstays Tinariwen released their tenth studio album Hoggar last week through their own label, Wedge. The album derives its name from the Hoggar mountains, a defiant marker of presence visible for miles and a symbol of a homeland for their displaced people. 

Long known for being fierce advocates for their people’s nomadic culture that exists in the desert borderlands between Mail and Algeria, the acclaimed JOVM mainstays bluesy, guitar-driven music has found global acclaim for its blend of dexterous, Western rock-styled guitar work, Tamasheq language-driven political bent, syncopated rhythms and soaring melodies. 

More than 45 years into their lengthy and storied career, Hoggar reportedly sees the acclaimed masters of the desert blues returning to the foundations of their sound with the band returning to their early years of songwriting with acoustic guitars and communal singing around the desert campfire. The album also sees the band staking their claim as elders of the Tuareg musical tradition while also proudly passing the torch onto a younger generation of featured musicians, who can continue to keep their culture’s flame of rebellion and defiance alive. 

Legendarily known for recording amid the windswept expanse of the Central Saharan desert, the acclaimed JOVM mainstays have long drawn inspiration from the rhythms of nature. With political unrest in Mali prompting the band to seek new spaces, the founding members, who are now based in Algeria recorded the album in studio set up by young Tuareg band and mentees Imarhan in Tamanrasset, which continues their legacy of innovation and collaboration. 

While previously released albums like 2023’s Amatssou saw Tinariwen collaborating with acclaimed producer Daniel Lanois, on Hoggar the band looked closer to home. Gathering with the local Tuareg musical community for a month, founding members Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni and Touhami Ag Alhassane began writing songs fueled by political unrest alongside young artists like Imarhan’s Iyad Moussa Ben Abderrahmane, Hicham Bouhasse  and Haiballah Akhamouk. The band also collaborated with Terekaft‘s Sanou Ag Hamed and Tinariwen co-founder Liya ag Abill, a.k.a. Diarra for the first time in 25 years. 

The album also marks some other firsts: The band’s lead vocalist Ibrahim and Abdallah sing together for the first time in over 30 years, breaking their long-held tradition of each songwriting performing only their own compositions. And there’s a guest spot from acclaimed longtime fan José González. 

Lyrically, Hoggar explores urgent and timely themes, addressing the social and political challenges facing the Tuareg people and northern Mali. The band continues their long tradition of bearing witness through their work, balancing the joy of their celebrated lie shows with reflections on community struggles, resilience and the need for cultural preservation. 

The album will include the previously released “Sagherat Assan,” “Imidiwan Takyadam” featuring acclaimed singer/songwriter and longtime fan Jose Gonzalez, “Amidinim Ehaf Solan,” and the album’s fourth and latest single, “Erghad Afewo.”

Anchored around the collective’s gorgeous, effortlessly bluesy guitar work and call and response-driven melodicism, “Erghad Afewo” is an urgent song calling out those who have sold out their people to fill their empty bellies and a little bit of cash and/or provisions while accurately describing an increasingly impending hellscape.

Continuing an ongoing collaboration with director and animator Axel Digoix, the accompanying video is a gorgeously animated visual that captures the pride, defiance and joy of the Tamashek that includes a fearsome night-time chase through the desert.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Saltmother Shares Dreamy, Hopeful “Masske”

Amanda Appel is a Danish singer/songwriter, best known for being a member of the Danish Music Award-nominated vocal outfit ilinx. Since their formation back in 2020, iinx has been at the forefront of the Danish experimental scene, playing sets at Roskilde Festival, midsummer bonfire ceremonies, fashion shows during Copenhagen Fashion Week and niche classical music festivals across the country.

Appel is also the creative mastermind behind the solo recording project Saltmother. Appel’s Saltmother debut, 2022’s Heavy in Baby Blue EP was an adventurous batch of electronic music with songs that thematically touched on being young and in love, living in rental apartments and taking hormonal contraception.

The Danish artist’s forthcoming Saltmother debut album reportedly marks a shift towards a much darker, more organic sound, anchored around intimacy and filled with captivating and deeply human imperfections.

The album’s first single “Maaske” is a weird yet gorgeous song that features a seamless blend of doom metal, stoner rock, folk and choral music, complete with some stunning harmonies. The song is anchored around a universal sentiment: that the darkness of our moment — or of any moment, really — isn’t forever; that we can overcome darkness by the comfort of being and singing together; and that brighter days are just ahead.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Indy Fontaine Teams Up With Charlie Cruz on Swooning “Tú Tienes Algo”

Indy Fontaine is a Cuban-born, Miami-based singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer, who can trace the origins of her career to her early childhood: Singing alongside her uncle and his old guitar, she fell in love with music when she was three. By the time she turned six, she was enrolled full-time at a music school in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba, where she trained to be professional vocalist and musician. 

Fontaine went on to graduate at the top of her class from Havana‘s prestigious National School of Art. When she graduated, she already had over a decade of experience playing gigs all across her native Cuba, including music festivals, live radio and TV sessions, and more.

Fontaine then joined Sol y Sun, an act that has played sets across the international music festival circuit between the States and Cuba, as well as some of the most popular venues in Havana. The band was also frequently performed on national TV and radio shows.

The Cuban-born artist relocated to Miami, where she stepped out into the spotlight as solo artist. Her debut, 2024’s Moments of My Life ranged across a number of genres and styles, including Adult Contemporary, Easy Listening, Soft Rock, Indie Pop, Indie Rock and R&B — with songs written and sung in both English and Spanish.

The album featured “El Amor No Alcanza,” Fontaine’s subtly modern take on bolero, a Cuban genre that frequently focuses on affairs of the heart. Since then, Fontaine spent last year releasing a collection of highly successful singles including “Esta Navidad,” “Vacaciones,” “Mariposas En La Lluvia,” “Mejor Sin Ti,” “Que Te Vaya Bien,” and “Después De La Caída.”

Her latest single, the Andrés Castro and Guianko Gómez co-written and co-produced “Tú Tienes Algo,” sees her collaborating with salsa star Charlie Cruz. The new single is a swooning and euphoric declaration of passionate and complete surrender to love — even if it strikes you as being wildly inexplicable.

The song invites lovers to surrender with the same intensity they bring to the dance floor, to declare their love not just with words, but also with movement.

“‘Tú Tienes Algo’ is about that irresistible, mysterious attraction—and I say mysterious because you can’t explain what that other person has, but you know that when you’re with them, they shake your world,” Fontaine explains. “In the song, this person is asking the other to let themselves be loved because there’s resistance to fully surrendering, perhaps out of fear—that’s why they’re asking to surrender completely to love,” she says.

“This collaboration with Charlie is a dream come true,” said Fontaine. “It was a tremendous honor to share the studio and create music with an artist I deeply admire. To me, Charlie is a salsa icon who has kept the tradition alive in such an authentic way,” she adds.

Single Review by William Ruben Helms

New Audio: Tinariwen Shares Uplifting “Amidinim Ehaf Solan”

Pioneering Grammy Award-winning, Tuareg musical pioneers and JOVM mainstays Tinariwen recently announced that their tenth studio album Hoggar is slated for a March 13, 2026 release through their own label, Wedge. The album derives itself from the Hoggar mountains, a defiant marker of presence visible for miles and a symbol of a homeland for their displaced people. 

Long known for being fierce advocates for their people’s nomadic culture that exists in the desert borderlands between Mail and Algeria, the acclaimed JOVM mainstays bluesy, guitar-driven music has found global acclaim for its blend of dexterous, Western rock-styled guitar work, Tamasheq language-driven political bent, syncopated rhythms and soaring melodies. 

More than 45 years into their lengthy and storied career, Hoggar reportedly sees the acclaimed masters of the desert blues returning to the foundations of their sound with the band returning to their early years of songwriting with acoustic guitars and communal singing around the desert campfire. The album also sees the band staking their claim as elders of the Tuareg musical tradition while also proudly passing the torch onto a younger generation of featured musicians, who can continue to keep their culture’s flame of rebellion and defiance alive. 

Known for recording amid the windswept expanse of the Central Saharan desert, the acclaimed JOVM mainstays have long drawn inspiration from the rhythms of nature. With political unrest in Mali prompting the band to seek new spaces, the founding members, who are now based in Algeria recorded the album in studio set up by young Tuareg band and mentees Imarhan in Tamanrasset, which continues their legacy of innovation and collaboration. 

While previously released albums like 2023’s Amatssou saw Tinariwen collaborating with acclaimed producer Daniel Lanois, on Hoggar the band looked closer to home. Gathering with the local Tuareg musical community for a month, founding members Ibrahim Ag Alhabib, Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni and Touhami Ag Alhassane began writing songs fueled by political unrest alongside young artists like Imarhan’s Iyad Moussa Ben Abderrahmane, Hicham Bouhasse  and Haiballah Akhamouk. The band also collaborated with Terekaft‘s Sanou Ag Hamed and Tinariwen co-founder Liya ag Abill, a.k.a. Diarra for the first time in 25 years. 

The album also marks some other firsts: The band’s lead vocalist Ibrahim and Abdallah sing together for the first time in over 30 years, breaking their long-held tradition of each songwriting performing only their own compositions. And there’s a guest spot from acclaimed longtime fan José González. 

Lyrically, Hoggar explores urgent and timely themes, addressing the social and political challenges facing the Tuareg people and northern Mali. The band continues their long tradition of bearing witness through their work, balancing the joy of their celebrated lie shows with reflections on community struggles, resilience and the need for cultural preservation. 

The album will include the previously released “Sagherat Assan,” a gorgeous, soulful rendition of a traditional Sudanese song, and the album’s second and latest single, “Imidiwan Takyadam” feat. acclaimed singer/songwriter and longtime fan Jose Gonzalez, and the album’s third single “Amidinim Ehaf Solan.”

Anchored around the collective’s unerring melodicism and gorgeous guitar work, “Amidinim Ehaf Solan” is a comforting message from wizened elders to younger generations that although things seem dire right now for their people, that they still have a homeland to love and protect, and that it’s still worth saving. And when things are dire, having something or someone to fight for and save, will keep you going.

New Video by William Ruben Helms

New Video: Fantôme Paradis Shares CInematic “Ámes sœurs”

Fantôme Paradis is the synth wave/darkwave recording projecting of a mysterious and emerging French producer. The mysterious French producer’s latest single “Âmes sœurs” features glistening synth arpeggios, tweeter and woofer rattling thump as a lush bed for a yearning, female French vocal.

Sonically nodding at a synthesis of The Weeknd and John Carpenter soundtracks, “Âmes sœurs” according to the mysterious French producer explores a relationship in crisis, caught in an uneasy conflict between devotion and hatred.