Post-rock aliens in the midst of Lebanon’s contemporary music scene.
The first time we introduced Kinematik was three years ago, when they released a wonderful album called “Ala”. Now this post-rock group from Lebanon is back with another great full-lenth. We asked them to tell us more about it:
“Murur Al-Kiram was recorded over a period of two months, and features Teddy Tawil (aka TEDTEDTED) joining the band as second drummer. Whereas on our first album Ala’, the 4 of us confined ourselves to one instrument and/or role within the overall sonic construct of the band, these new compositions see each musician playing with several instruments, adding intensity, cohesiveness and a sense of fluidity to the proceedings.”
“The intent was to make a record that would sound like a single travelling shot, beginning with the musicians’ childhood in their hometown of Rayfun in North Lebanon, to their having to endure the horrendously corrupt state of political affairs Lebanon finds itself in today, until they are buried back in their place of birth; realizing in the process how slight and remote Lebanon is, as a country; and how little they, as individuals and a community, are.”
“To some extent, we as Kinematik have consistently felt like aliens in the midst of Lebanon’s contemporary music scene, and this statement holds true for a large segment of the country’s alternative scene nowadays.”
“With recent civil rights campaigns, counterfeit elections and dire social conditions, the sense of existential dread has intensified and the question of ‘what the hell are we doing?’ that generally occurs at the time of recording took on a more general dimension, as in is there a purpose for trying to accomplish anything at all in Lebanon today, whether artistic or otherwise?”
“In the end, it was the salutary presence of Sary (the newborn son of synth player Rudy Ghafari) that became the ‘raison d’être’ of the record. Murur Al-Kiram is the story of an important chapter in our history, one marked by uncertainty and hesitation, yet solid and vibrant in spite of the latter.”
Stream “Murur Al Kiram” LP on Bandcamp and Spotify.
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