Album title: Nisf Madeena
Release date: Friday 4 September (Bandcamp Friday, 100% of proceeds will go to local initiatives)
Formats: Digital / BandCamp exclusive

The 17-track compilation titled Nisf Madeena (half city) includes contributions by the likes of Fatima Al Qadiri , Nicolás Jaar , ZULI , Slikback and others. Bringing sounds together from the different crevices of electronic music, it is a humble attempt to galvanize musicians and listeners into supporting a city that has been integral in shaping the region’s contemporary music scene.

Following months of social unrest and imminent financial collapse, on top of years of corruption and incompetence on the part of the Lebanese state, the unimaginable happened. On a balmy August afternoon, a series of explosions in a warehouse at the Port of Beirut left some of the most vibrant parts of the city entirely or partially destroyed. 

With more than 200 deaths and thousands of injuries, hundreds of thousands of people have lost their homes and livelihoods. Almost a month after the explosion, swaths of volunteers and activists are still roaming the streets to clean up the debris and shattered glass, and are working day and night to provide relief for those affected. 

Ma3azef teamed up with New York-based mastering engineer Heba Kadry to curate a compilation of new and unreleased materials provided by regional and international musicians to raise funds for the continuous relief work being done on the ground to help those who have been failed by the state.

All proceeds from the sales of the compilation are going to local initiatives to provide assistance to those affected: Fundraising Campaign for the Arts and Culture Community in Beirut organized by AFAC, Beirut Musicians’s Fund organized by Tunefork Studios, and Beit el Baraka supporting retired citizens.

All tracks mastered by Heba Kadry
Artwork by Studio Mooni
PR support by Simsara Music

YUNIS |  Ismael  |  ZULI  |  Slikback  |  STILL  |  Aya Metwalli  |  Al Nather  |  Deena Abdelwahed  |  Faten Kanaan  |  FRKTL  |  DJ Plead  |  Sarah Haras  |  Fatima Al Qadiri  |  Thoom  |  Maltash  |  Marc Codsi  |  Nicolás Jaar

ma3azef.com / Radio / SoundCloud / Twitter / Instagram / Facebook / Spotify / You Tube

A critical and curatorial online music magazine in Arabic, Ma3azef, whose tagline is “the first and last magazine of its kind,” was launched in 2012 as a venue for music criticism in the Arabic language. Authoritative, adventurous, and voracious, Ma3azef has pioneered close reading and long-form critical writing on music new and old.

Monthly NTS show: https://www.nts.live/shows/ma3azef

Bidoun Mix and interview with founder: https://www.bidoun.org/articles/bidoun-mix-4-maan-abu-taleb

https://www.hebakadry.com  

Heba Kadry is a Mastering engineer based in Brooklyn, NY. Clients include Slowdive, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Deerhunter, Beach House, Cate Le Bon, Alex G, Battles, John Maus, serpentwithfeet, Blonde Redhead, Diamanda Galás, Lightning Bolt, Black Lips, Lucy Dacus, Cass McCombs, Princess Nokia and The Mars Volta to name a few. In addition to mastering original soundtracks for films such as “Midsommar”, ” Jackie” (Oscar-nominated for best original score in 2017), “Paterson” and “The Dead Don’t Die”.  

Check her discography and bio for full background.