Releasing 10 June 2023 on Annihaya:
Considered to be one of the earliest composers of electronic music, Halim El-Dabh (1921-2017) was an Egyptian-American musician, ethnomusicologist, and educator. The works in this compilation span his astounding six decade career, moving across Halim El-Dabh’s eclectic, undefinable, and groundbreaking oeuvre – including field recordings, concertos, electronic music compositions, and improvised instrumentals.
Made available here for the first time in the vinyl record format, this compilation was lovingly curated by El-Dabh researcher Joe Namy and Benjamin Gaydos, under the guidance of Halim El-Dabh’s estate.
“It was a drive really, to hear something beyond what I was hearing. So I had to use all the electronic means to reach that sound that I was hearing and it’s not there. And the means to do it was right there around me.”
–Halim El-Dabh speaking about his process in creating Taabir El Zaar (aka The Wire Recorder Piece) in 1944.
All tracks courtesy of Halim El-Dabh LLC and Deborah El-Dabh (p) 2022. Used by permission.
Mastered by Warren Defever.
Liner notes by Joe Namy.
Artwork by Hatem Imam. Design by Studio Safar for Flint Magazine.
This project is a collaborative release by Flint Magazine, Studio Safar, and Annihaya Records
Available as a limited edition vinyl LP, pressed in Detroit at Third Man Records.
Listen/Order HERE
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