SceneNoise

The 260th edition of our Select series features some old-school broody house vibes from Cairo-based DJ Hisham Zahran. Arguably one of Egypt’s most renowned and well traveled dance music acts, Hisham Zahran is known for his innovative and impeccably curated house and minimal sound. Since 2006 Zahran has regularly played in Europe, Asia, North and South America and has had residency stints with Egyp...

In this episode of our Select series, we delve into the world of Peaky Beats, a British producer and DJ with Iraqi heritage. Peaky Beats infuses his sets with a tapestry of Arabic genres intertwined with the expansive spectrum of UK bass music. Peaky's vinyl and digital mix weaves tracks from his debut 2LP album 'BLOODLINES' with classic dubstep elements like ‘Changes’ by Mala and ‘Surgery’ by dub...

In this episode of our Select series, we have Egyptian rising DJ Ram, whose dynamic sets are peppered with influences from UK garage music. Ram has cooked an infectious minimal house mix for us, layered with melodic textures, rolling rhythmic beats and bouncy hit-hats. The set is light and chill, just the right amount to get you groovy if you are feeling lazy this Saturday morning.

Egyptian DJ Magdolina draws inspiration from the jumbled sounds of the bustling streets of his hometown of Cairo to craft dynamic techno sets, featuring rolling beats, gritty drum patterns and electro. For our Select 257, Magdolina brings us an hour set of versatile and experimental sounds, exploring new sonic territories. The set features memorable hard-hitting basslines and infectious breaks alo...

Philippe Zarif, aka Boshoco, is currently one of the pioneering DJs and producers in the Syrian electronic dance music scene. Born and raised in Aleppo, Boshoco drew inspiration from the rich cultural heritage of his hometown to craft a distinctive playful sound. Imbued with sweltering rhythms and infectious grooves, Boshoco’s sets skillfully blend left-field electronics with contemporary Arab mus...

Dubai-based music fanatic, collector and DJ Alessandra has been spinning across the MENA region’s underground dance music scene from a very young age. She has previously co-organized several eclectic parties with Berlin’s Breakfast on Mars collective. On this episode of our Select series, Alessandra delivers a thoughtfully curated blend of 90s sounds, from house and electro to breakbeats and tranc...

On this episode of Select, we have Kamyar Khanzaei aka RING & K-Dub, the Iranian electronic music producer, visual artist and DJ who founded Sampatic Records. Since its inception in 2016, Kamyar’s label has been amplifying the diverse sounds of Tehran's music scene globally. Besides actively DJing and hosting eclectic events in Iran and Turkey, Kamyar also manages NoHradioTehran and TUS.SHOW. His...

Jeddah-based DJ Anmarz - a house-head through and through - has been spinning since the 90s from the coastal city of Oregon to Saudi Arabia and beyond, showcasing at some of the most prestigious clubs and festivals across the globe. Now, as a resident at Gabu Records and a co-founder of 9Sicksick and Mirkaz, Anmarz has been playing a pivotal role in Saudi Arabia’s thriving underground music scene....

Whether she is spinning at underground parties or famous clubs and venues, Dubai-based French-Iranian DJ Parvané, aka Parv, dominates the decks with her euphoria-inducing sets. Blending a wide range of genres into one juicy cacophony, her sound swiftly shifts from Miami Bass, Breakbeat and UKG to Chicago house, Ghetto tech with afro and Brazilian funky undertones. For our Select 252, Parv cooked u...

On this episode of Select, we have up-and-coming Lebanese DJ Lyss, who has been firing decks from Beirut to Paris and beyond with her versatile and dynamic sets, seamlessly blending house, techno, and trance with balearic and electro. Her select set, which she recorded on a DJR 400 mixer and two CDJs Nexus 2 at the famed Djoon Club, beautifully encapsulates the raw ecstasy of a packed dance floor....

On this episode of Select, we have Beirut-based DJ and electronic music producer Eli Atala, who has dominated dancefloors in top clubs and festivals across the globe with his smooth joyful house mixes since the 90s. The set opens with the washed-out voice of what seems like a TV presenter on a loop before unfurling into edgy deep house beats with mellow rumbling subs, locked grooves, and silky hit...

Up-and-coming Egyptian/Russian DJ Rashed Mekawy, aka RJ, has been gaining recognition in the dance music scene over the past few years for his distinctive groove-laden funky mixes, peppered with UK’s house music influences. On Select 249, RJ delivers a chic hypnotic minimal deep house set, featuring bouncy transitions, groovy rhythms and dissonant melodies with some old-school samples. The set fea...

3lais is a pioneering Beirut-based electronic music producer and DJ, and one part of the eclectic live act Atomic Circus. Born into a household of musicians and artists, 3lais began his musical career at a very young age, quickly becoming one of the trailblazing figures in Lebanon’s underground music scene by the mid-90s. A decade into his residency at Beirut’s B018, one of MENA’s hottest clubs, 3...

On this episode of Select, we have Marwan Hazem, a rising local DJ who has been manning decks across Cairo since 2019. His thoughtfully curated set encompasses various sounds, from minimal, house to electro and their sub-genres. Armed with a music technology major, which became a catalyst for refining his craft, Marwan has recently ventured into music production.

Kareem Mohamed, aka KMZ, is a Dubai-based Egyptian artist whose signature melodic techno sets have been dominating famous clubs and venues across Dubai and Cairo for almost a decade now. Though he explored other genres like disco during his residency at the likes of Oblivion and Dxb Boat Party, KMZ always found himself drawn back to melodic techno. KMZ has also shared the decks with a slew of reno...

An up-and-coming Saudi DJ, violinist and producer, Kayan is making a name for herself by weaving classic music with electronic beats. Her compositions - made up of organic rhythms and remixes of classics embellished with heavy basslines - form entrancing harmonies that offer an uncommonly cool assurance. For our Select 245, the Riyadh-based DJ crafted a melodic, deep house set filled with haunting...

Egyptian DJ Masry has been captivating regional and local audiences with his dynamic sets and waving textures of acid house.. Having started his musical career DJing in clubs across Egypt’s coastal city of Sharm El-Sheikh during its heyday, Masry has recently become a regular in the region’s dance circuit, going from opening to Dekmantel Soundsystem DJ Thomas Martojo in Cairo to playing Dubai’s ic...

Born in the UK, and currently based in UAE, Egyptian DJ Maks is a driving force behind its thriving underground music scene. Considered one of the first originators of minimal and microhouse music in the region, Maks’ sound has left an indelible mark on dance floors in prestigious party series and festivals across the globe like Romania’s Sunwaves and Washington DC’s Flash. In October 2023, the DJ...

Ahmed Refaat, aka Riff, is an Egyptian electronic music producer and multi-instrumental musician. Having grown up in the isolated industrial city of Khanka, Riff was deeply influenced by the bustling sounds of his daily life, as well as Egypt’s heavy shaabi rhythms and classic pop music. His latest releases include a double single with rising local singer Nourine Abouseada and shaabi artist Veto,...

For nearly a decade since her emergence in the local dance scene, Cairo-based DJ Akladios has been sweeping crowds with her bouncy (and just a little spacey) sets, featuring salty minimal house beats with razor-sharp breaks. Besides spinning all across Egypt’s hottest clubs, Akladios has played some of the region’s biggest music festivals, party series and clubs including Sandbox, Shorelines, Retr...

Cairo’s budding DJs Jess and Moenes have established a name for themselves in the local electronic music scene with their uplifting sets, a melting pot of genres and juicy house and disco selections. Heavily influenced by the late 80s house and disco wave, Moenes is known for cooking up some groovy live sounds with razor-sharp transitions. Since his emergence in Cairo’s clubbing scene, he’s become...

Peachpuff’s Mardini is a minimal house producer and DJ who carved out a distinctive niche sound in the region’s underground electronic scene. Born and raised in a musically inclined environment in Lebanon, Mardini’s sonic tapestry is an eclectic fusion of blobby grooves and intricate textured rhythms, embellished with atmospheric elements. On our 239th episode of Select, Mardini is getting us all...

Ever since his breakthrough into the local electronic music scene in 2017, Cairo-based DJ Amr has become quickly recognized for his distinctive music style, rhythmic melodies and constructional mixing techniques. His dynamic sets clearly showcase his knack for dabbling in a wide variety of genres, ranging from break-ish 90s to hard-hitting electro. Amr initially developed a deep passion for DJing...

Hailing from Lebanon, Vanessa Abboud aka VNSA is a true force to be reckoned with in the region’s electronic music scene. From minimal techno to house, her dynamic sets feature sharp, hard-hitting breaks with soul and funk influences. Vanessa has previously performed at famous venues across the region from Uberhaus and the Garten, to the Grand Factory and B018. She also shared the deck with some o...

Born and raised in Lebanon, Cyrill is a Dubai-based resident DJ at Boogie Box – one of the longest-running house and techno event series in the UAE, and is known for digging selections with broken beats, heavy basslines and psychedelic undertones. He is also co-founder of Moist Paper Party, and founder of Riddim Section, a club night series dedicated to amplifying fresh sounds of Drum and Bass and...