Julia Sabra and Fadi Tabbal - Snakeskin (2022)

This blog knows Julia Sabra as the vocalist of the Lebanese dream pop outfit Postcards. But she makes music under her own name too. Recently she joined forces with her compatriot, electronic/ambient music creator, Fadi Tabbal, in order to create a unique record called Snakeskin.

In their music, the artists combine Sabra's ultimately dreamy vocals and Tabbal's experimental electronica into non-obvious compositions. Already the first song here, Still Life, surprises the audience with crunchy samples that are everything but soothing to ears but yet, sounding very well together with Sabra's angelic voice. Later, the compositions get much more flow with the industrial flavours planted all around them. But really, this album is very difficult to attempt any kind of labeling with neoclassical ambient pieces like Past Tense, the unnervingly dark In Our Garden or the hazy dream of One by One. Practically speaking, each song is a different story with different vibes and emotions. And everything makes one whole glued together by the vocals and the melancholic aftertaste.

Snakeskin costs 8 USD.

Postcards - After the Fire, Before the End (2021)

Postcards - The Good Soldier (2020)

Check: One by One

Country: Lebanon

Genre: dreamy experimental pop

Label: Ruptured Records/Beacon Sound

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Fadi Tabbal - Subject to Potential Errors and Distortions (2020) EN

I gotta say that the Ruptured Records label opened my eyes to the Middle East music experiments. It's such a fantastic feeling to listen to a good ambient work coming from some less obvious directions. And this is exactly what's going on with Fadi Tabbal, A Lebanese artist, and his new album..

As expected, there's some Middle East-sounding inspirations on the album, at least to my unprofessional ears, but what really rules the release are beautiful, long soundscapes equipped with some ethereal vibes either in the form of airy backing vocals (as in The New and Improved Guide to Birdwatching, Vol. 1 or the super exciting second part of the track) or simply the inspired, subtle noise. In some places, the music is fantastically euphoric in this ambient, nostalgic way. I don't like some atonal, experimental fragments like the finish in The Sidewalk at Night but I'd say it's a matter of taste. The whole album, really solid.

Subject to Potential Errors and Distortions costs 8 USD. 

Check: The New and Improved Guide to Birdwatching, Vol. 2

Country: Lebanon

Genre: experimental soundscape

Label: Ruptured Records

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Fadi Tabbal - Subject to Potential Errors and Distortions (2020) PL

Muszę przyznać, że label Ruptured Records otworzył mi oczy na muzyczne eksperymenty z Bliskiego Wschodu. To fantastyczne uczucie posłuchać dobrego ambientu dochodzącego z mało oczywistego kierunku. Tak jest właśnie z Fadim Tabbalem, artystą z Libanu i jego nową płytą.

Jak należało się spodziewać, na krążku jest trochę bliskowschodnio-brzmiących inspiracji, przynajmniej na moje, nieprofesjonalne ucho, ale głównie królują tu piękne, ciągnące się soundscape'y niepozbawione eterycznego vibe'u czy to w postaci chórków (w The New and Improved Guide to Birdwatching, Vol. 1 albo w niezwykle ekscytującej drugiej części utworu) czy po prostu natchnionego, subtelnego noise'u. W kilku momentach jest fantastycznie, wręcz euforycznie w ten ambientowy, nostalgiczny sposób. Mniej podobają mi się atonalne momenty na przykład w finałowym The Sidewalk at Night ale to już kwestia gustu. Cała płyta - naprawdę solidna.

Subject to Potential Errors and Distortions kosztuje 31 złotych (8 USD). 

Sprawdź: The New and Improved Guide to Birdwatching, Vol. 2

Kraj: Liban

Szufladka: experimental soundscape

Label: Ruptured Records

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