Ruptured Album Release // Munma + Jad Atoui, Jawad Nawfal, Sharif Sehnaoui

In February 2024, we released two new albums by Lebanese electronic producer Jawad Nawfal aka Munma. TRANSIENT ORGAN is the first physical solo release by Jawad Nawfal since 2016’s landmark full-length Three Voices. The music on the album was composed by Nawfal between November 2021 and September 2023, in bouts of fractured creativity punctuated by frequent power cuts in his native city of Beirut. Transient Organ features the voice of regular Munma collaborator Caroline Tabet, whose evocative spoken word poetry appears on two tracks. Tabet also provided the drawing that graces the cover of the album. Mastered by Cedrik Fermont in Berlin, designed by Maya Chami in Beirut. Transient Organ is available as a digital album and limited release cassette of 40 copies, printed and duplicated in Montreal, Canada. Listen/Orderrupturedthelabel.bandcamp.com/album/transient-organ
MODERN INDIVIDUAL is the first recorded collaboration between Jawad Nawfal and Lebanese experimental musicians Jad Atoui (NP, Kinematik Ensemble) and Sharif Sehnaoui (‘A’ Trio, Calamita). The music on this album was composed and performed by Atoui, Nawfal and Sehnaoui in Beirut, between January and August 2023. Mastered by Cedrik Fermont in Berlin, designed by Maya Chami in Beirut. Modern Individual is available as a digital album and limited release cassette of 40 copies, printed and duplicated in Montreal, Canada. Listen/Orderrupturedthelabel.bandcamp.com/album/modern-individual

Ziad Nawfal Guest Mix for Radio Alhara // 19 October 2022

Ziad Nawfal’s monthly mix for Radio Alhara in Bethlehem, Palestine, with music from Lebanon, Egypt, and the USA.

  1. Heroes and Villains – Snake and feather [LB]
  2. Cosmic Analog Ensemble – S’aventurer [LB]
  3. Interbellum – Another day [LB]
  4. Préfaces [Charif Megarbane, Salim Naffah & Pascal Semerdjian] – Embarator [LB]
  5. The New Year – Snow [US]
  6. Kid Fourteen – Blood thick silence [LB]
  7. Toni Geitani – Raboukom [LB]
  8. Nadah el-Shazly – Afqid ad dakhira [EG]
  9. El Rass & Munma – Return of the penguin [LB]
  10. The Bunny Tylers – Hello your grace [LB]
  11. Oiseaux-Tempete & The Bunny Tylers – Little known ending fading away [LB/FR]
  12. Radwan Ghazi Moumneh – Ya dam’at al ‘ain [LB/CA]
  13. Tony Elieh & Sharif Sehnaoui – Woe to him [LB]


Al Maslakh Album Release // “A” TRIO // Folk

Releasing October 07, 2022 on Al Maslakh Records:

“A” Trio is the oldest free improvisation group to come out of Lebanon. It was formed in 2002 by Mazen Kerbaj (trumpet), Sharif Sehnaoui (acoustic guitar), and Raed Yassin (double bass), initially to perform a single concert for the second edition of experimental music festival Irtijal in Beirut, Lebanon. Following the concert, the three musicians went on to record the first free jazz album to be produced in the Arab world (A – La CDthèque Productions, 2003). As time went on, the music they created moved away from its jazz roots towards a more textural approach, relying strongly on prepared and extended techniques in an effort to heavily divert their respective instruments. After working together in trio and various other contexts for many years, Kerbaj, Sehnaoui and Yassin reached a characteristic sound that has been fondly described as “textural swing.” Creative yet simple, acoustic yet powerful, their live performances are playful and rely on a strong visual component.

“A” Trio celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022, embarking for the occasion on a tour that saw them perform in various parts of Europe and North America in Spring 2022. The trio is releasing two new albums in Fall 2022: a live recording entitled ‘The Binding Third’ for German label Unrock, and this current set of brand new compositions entitled FOLK for Lebanese experimental label Al Maslakh.

Clocking in just below 40 minutes, this new release preserves many of the elements developed by Kerbaj, Sehnaoui and Yassin over the years, both as a trio and in their respective solo practices. Yet Folk also draws from their multiple collaborations with musical collaborators as diverse as celebrated Australian jazz trio The Necks, American folk outlier Alan Bishop (of Sun City Girls fame), and more recently British free improv pioneers AMM.

“A” TRIO:
Mazen Kerbaj – trumpet
Sharif Sehnaoui – acoustic guitar
Raed Yassin – double bass

All music improvised by Kerbaj/Sehnaoui/Yassin.
No cuts, no overdubbing, no use of electronics.
Recorded, mixed and mastered by Rainer Robben at Audio Cue Studio, Berlin, on March 20th, 2018.
Band photograph by Uwe Faltermeier. Artwork & design by Mazen Kerbaj.

Available as a digital album and limited edition vinyl LP with download code.



Listen/Order HERE


Ziad Nawfal for Movement Radio’s “Exploring Mediterranean Futures” // 15 February 2022

This mix was commissioned by Movement Athens for its radio festival “Exploring Mediterranean Futures” [Feb. 15-19, 2022], a 5-day radio festival focused on the sounds of the Mediterranean, searching for geographical and chronological connections through its culture, ideas and people.

Ziad Nawfal’s mix presents music recorded by various artists and bands from Beirut’s indie and experimental music scenes, between 2010 and 2021. A few of the tracks were officially released in some form or another, some of them are early drafts and demos, and a couple consist of live sessions recorded during Nawfal’s 35-year tenure at Beirut’s crumbling government station Radio Liban.

  1. Fadi Tabbal – After the Fire, Before the End [Unreleased]
  2. Charbel Haber & Sary Moussa – And Yet Another Romance on A Sinking Ship [V/A The Drone Sessions Vol. 1]
  3. Scrambled Eggs & A Trio – Beach Party at Mirna el Chalouhi (Diamond Setter’s Rework) [Unreleased]
  4. The Art of Boo – BoomKaboom [Unreleased]
  5. Safa – Dominant Gene [V/A Lost Archives]
  6. Jad Atoui – FDBCK [Unreleased]
  7. Tres Milliones Dolares – Jon Black [V/A Anthology of Electroacoustic Lebanese Music]
  8. Ziad Moukarzel – Questions of Worry [V/A Anthology of Electroacoustic Lebanese Music]
  9. Court Circuit (Osman Arabi & Heathen) – Ruptured Session February 2010 [Unreleased]
  10. Jawad Nawfal – Nawa Athar 0 (feat. Aya Metwalli) [V/A Istimrar Phase 1]
  11. Abed Kobeissy & Sary Moussa – A Simple Song About Weather & Murder [V/A Istimrar Phase 1]
  12. Aya Metwalli – Red Curtains Forever [Unreleased]
  13. Sharif Sehnaoui & Mazen Kerbaj – Ruptured Session April 2012 [Unreleased]
  14. Jana Saleh – Soupire [V/A Istimrar Phase 1]
  15. Julia Sabra – Three Days [V/A Istimrar Phase 1]
  16. Fadi Tabbal & Julia Sabra – Roots [V/A The Drone Sessions Vol. 1]
  17. Marc Codsi – Untitled #3 [Unreleased]
  18. Youmna Saba – Nafas [V/A Ruptured Sessions Vol. 6: For Beirut]
  19. Anthony Sahyoun – Two Foxes Trotting on A Lane in Qartaba [Unreleased]
  20. Radwan Ghazi Moumneh – Ya Dam’at Al ‘Ain [V/A Ruptured Sessions Vol. 4]



[This mix was commissioned and produced by Onassis Cultural Center, and presented for the first time in the frame of MOVEMENT RADIO]

Ziad Nawfal Guest Mix for Movement Radio // 04 January 2022

Ziad Nawfal’s monthly mix for Movement Radio in Athens, featuring music from Lebanon, Indonesia and Germany. This mix was commissioned and produced by Onassis Cultural Center, and presented for the first time in the frame of MOVEMENT RADIO.

1. Kinematik – Al Jadi (Capricorn) [LB]
2. Senyawa – Alkisah I [ID]
3. TEDTEDTED – Cama [LB]
4. NP [Anthony Sahyoun & Jad Atoui] – Coins with Memory [LB]
5. Liliane Chlela & Ziad Moukarzel – Dahr el Baydar [LB]
6. Two or The Dragon – Dance Grooves for The Weary (Part 1) [LB]
7. Calamita – The Industry [LB/IT]
8. Sharif Sehnaoui & Tony Elieh – Woe to Him [LB]
9. Stellar Banger [Giw/Hout/Kobeissy/Turnbull] – Put Your Medicine In Your Banana Bag [LB/DE]



Photo by Andrew Neerman

 

Ziad Nawfal Guest Mix for Radio Ma3azef – Jerusalem In My Heart Edition // 08 December 2021

Canadian indie label Constellation and Ma3azef resident Ziad Nawfal join forces to curate a 60mn mix of music based on and around Lebanese/Canadian duo Jerusalem In My Heart‘s album “Qalaq”, released in October 2021. Featuring several cuts from the album, as well as selected tracks from its outstanding list of contributors.

1. Jerusalem In My Heart – Abyad Barraq
2. Tim Hecker – Acephale
3. Le Révélateur (Roger Tellier-Craig & Sabrina Ratté) – Afterimage Selves
4. Pacha (Pierre-Guy Blanchard) – Ankara
5. Jerusalem In My Heart – Bein Ithnein
6. Moor Mother – Big Crime
7. Lucrecia Dalt – Disuelta
8. Body Meπa (Greg Fox / Sasha Frere-Jones / Melvin Gibbs / Grey McMurray) – Bullitt
9. Rabih Beaini – Light Within a Light
10. OISEAUX-TEMPÊTE – Out of Sight
11. “A” Trio (Mazen Kerbaj / Sharif Sehnaoui / Raed Yassin) – Over
12. Radwan Ghazi Moumneh – Qaluli (They Told Me)
13. Jerusalem In My Heart – Tanto
14. Alanis Obomsawin – Odana



Ziad Nawfal Guest Mix for Movement Radio // 02 November 2021

Ziad Nawfal’s monthly mix for Movement Radio in Athens, featuring music from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Indonesia. This mix was commissioned and produced by Onassis Cultural Center, and presented for the first time in the frame of MOVEMENT RADIO.

1. Melmo – After [LB]
2. Khaled Omran – Arak [SY]
3. The Butcher’s Bride (Liliane Chlela & Hamed Sinno) – Lipsync [LB]
4. Serge Yared – Deliberate Depression [LB]
5. Wanderland – December [LB]
6. Anthony Sahyoun – Irhamna (Premiere) [LB]
7. Senyawa – Kabau (1800s Internet Remix) [ID/JO]
8. Jaafar Touffar – Nitrate [LB]
9. Gurumiran – Man Who Sold Eldunya [LB]
10. Sandmoon – Angels [LB]
11. Postcards – Mother Tongue [LB]
12. Filter Happier – Radiobed [LB]
13. Sharif Sehnaoui – Thawra [LB]
14. Calamita – The Industry [LB/IT]
15. The Bunny Tylers – Mothers Make Murderers (Summer 91) [LB}



Photo by Nayla Naoufal

 

Ziad Nawfal Guest Mix for Movement Radio – VVVA Edition // 09 September 2021

Ziad Nawfal’s monthly mix for Movement Radio in Athens – showcasing Lebanese digital electronic label VV-VAThis mix was commissioned and produced by Onassis Cultural Center, and presented for the first time in the frame of MOVEMENT RADIO.

1. Charbel Haber & Jawad Nawfal – Across The River Styx
2. Jad Atoui & Jawad Nawfal – Amber Color
3. Elyse Tabet & Jawad Nawfal – At The Gay Bar Being Gay
4. Sharif Sehnaoui & Jawad Nawfal – Castle
5. Jawad Nawfal – Between Scylla and Charybdis
6. Anthony Sahyoun & Jawad Nawfal – February 2 pt.2
7. Jawad Nawfal – Nine Hundred Chariots
8. Mazen El Sayed & Jawad Nawfal – Liquid Sun
9. Jad Atoui – Signals
10. Jad Atoui & Jawad Nawfal – Vice Versa
11. Mazen El Sayed & Jawad Nawfal – Pastless
12. Elyse Tabet & Jawad Nawfal – Courbe Lisse



Photo by Ziad Nawfal

 

Ziad Nawfal Guest Mix for Radio Ma3azef // 08 September 2021

Ziad Nawfal’s monthly mix for Radio Ma3azef in Tunis, featuring artists from Lebanon, Syria, Egypt, Morocco, Indonesia and Canada:

1. Kinematik – Al Jadi (Capricorn)
2. Senyawa – Alkisah I [Anthony Sahyoun Remix]
3. NP [Anthony Sahyoun & Jad Atoui] – Anteater
4. Bergsonist – Aquatic Empathy
5. Khaled Omran – Arak
6. Calamita – Sidi Mansour
7. KOZO – Take On Kikutake
8. Omarchestra [Osman Arabi, Umut Çağlar, Tony Elieh, Charbel Haber, Maurice Louca, Sharif Sehnaoui, Sam Shalabi & Fadi Tabbal] – King Hassan
9. Johnny Kafta Anti-Vegetarian Orchestra [Tony Elieh, Charbel Haber, Mazen Kerbaj, Malek Rizkallah, Sharif Sehnaoui & Raed Yassin] – Bedo’s Lullaby
10. Ilvy – Gargantua
11. Spoils & Servants – The Sea Inside


Ruptured & Annihaya Double Album Release // CALAMITA: Nemesis + KINEMATIK: Al-Jadi

Releasing 18 AUGUST 2023 on Ruptured + Annihaya:

Following their collaboration on the Lebanese vinyl edition of Senyawa’s “Alkisah” in February 2021, indie labels Annihaya and Ruptured are collaborating on two vinyl releases, to be released simultaneously in August 2021.

These are the 3rd album from Lebanese post-rock collective KINEMATIK, entitled “Al Jadi”, and the 2nd album from CALAMITA (the trio of guitarist Sharif Sehnaoui, bassist Tony Elieh and drummer Davide Zolli), entitled “Nemesis”.

Both albums were recorded and mixed by Fadi Tabbal at Tunefork Studios, Beirut.
Both albums were mastered by Harris Newman at Grey Market Mastering, Montreal.
All artworks by Hatem Imam, Studio Safar.



Listen/Order (Ruptured) HERE  

Listen/Order (Annihaya) HERE