Born in Egypt and currently based in Montreal, Canada, Nadah El Shazly is a composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and also the producer of her new album Laini Tani, which is available now on vinyl (black or translucent yellow), compact disc, and digital through One Little Independent Records and Backward Music in Canada. Giving trad Arabic pop a wild experimental spin, El Shazly’s music is a fascinating, exhilarating ride that exemplifies the new.
Nadah El Shazly’s impressive debut album Ahwar was released in November of 2017, so it’s fair to say that this follow-up has been a long time coming. But let’s clarify a few things. She was part of Praed Orchestra alongside a slew of estimable players (amongst others Alan Bishop, Christine Kazarian, Sam Shalabi, Michael Zerang), the large group convened by Paed Conca and Raed Yassin to further expand upon the music created by their duo Praed.
The general thrust of Praed was to tap into the essence of the trad Egyptian musics Shaabi and Mouled (trance styles) and then expand further by integrating them with elements of rock, free jazz, and electronica. Assembled for a performance at Calligraphy Square on November 3rd, 2018, and documented on the 3LP set Live in Sharjah (released in 2020 and still available via Bandcamp), Praed Orchestra expands the duo’s concept even more.
The album’s contents are surprising and often exquisite, and directly in line with El Shazly’s objectives on her solo records. Right around the time of Live in Sharjah’s release, El Shazly began collaborating with vocalist-sound artist Elvin Brandhi in the duo Pollution Opera, conjuring up an intense blend of electronics, noise, and auto-tuned vocals with an emphasis on experimentation.
Pollution Opera’s debut LP پولوشن اوبرا, came out in April 2024, as did El Shazly’s soundtrack to Fyzal Boulifa’s 2022 film The Damned Don’t Cry, a set that sits quite nicely in stylistic terms between her two solo albums. Of the two, Ahwar offers the broader sonic tapestry and was built by a larger pool of personnel, though, along with double bassist Jonah Fortune, the outstanding harpist Sarah Pagé contributes to both albums.
Egyptian classical music as a foundational element is retained on Laini Tani, as are electronic textures. Opening track “Elnadaha” is infused with lush glistening, while “Kaabi Aali” features layered rhythms that in “Banit” explode into trip-hoppy industrial atmospheres. This aura of the electronic ’90s extends into “Eid,” with its cinematic feel, and then “Enti Fi Neama” gushes forth, suggesting the sounds of a futuristic arcade at full tilt.
“Dafea Robaai” delivers another hearty dose of hazy, thudding electronica, while the Egyptian root flourishes in “Labkha” and the title track, both dual showcases for El Shazly’s vocals and Pagé’s harp. Punching rhythmic lines do emerge to deepen “Laini Tani,” and then “Ghorzetein” explodes into chilly dystopian trip-hop ambiance for the close. The singing and playing are strong throughout the album, but Laini Tani reinforces El Shazly as a master of mood and a composer of unusual skill.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
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