Alif: Aynama-Rtama
Alif: Aynama-Rtama
Format: CD
Wanting to order from us over the holiday period but need some more information. We are here to help! Please see our Christmas Shipping page for more information.
On average, orders containing available-to-ship items are processed and dispatched within 1-2 business days, although this is not guaranteed.
Orders containing preorder items will ship as 1 fulfillment once all items in the order are available to ship.
Please note, Tower Records Merchandise and Exclusives are dispatched separately. On average, these items take 3-4 business days to dispatch, although this is not guaranteed.
The estimated shipping times that are displayed at checkout are from the point of dispatch.
See our shipping policy for more information.
We have a 30-day return policy, which means you have 30 days after receiving your item(s) to make a return.
For orders created between November 20th 2024 and December 31st 2024, we have extended our normal return period. For orders made between this period, customers have up to 60 days from the receipt of goods to return an item. Please see our Christmas Returns page for more information.
To be eligible for a return of an unwanted item, your item must be in the same condition that you received it and in its original packaging.
In the unfortunate situation that a product is damaged/faulty/incorrect, let us know and we will endeavor to correct any issue as soon as possible.
Please see our refund policy for more information.
Artist: Alif
Label: Nawa Recordings
Product Type: COMPACT DISCS
UPC: 5055869511308
Genre: International
Alif is the collective sound of five musicians at the forefront of independent music in the Arab world. Conceived in 2012 and taking it's name from the first letter of the Arabic alphabet, Alif features Khyam Allami (oud), Tamer Abu Ghazaleh (vocals and buzuq), Bashar Farran (bass), Maurice Louca (keys and electronics), and Khaled Yassine (drums and percussion). Their self-produced debut, Aynama-Rtama (Wherever It Falls) is a reflection of it's time and environment. Recorded between Beirut and Cairo in 2014, it is a shape-shifting album that twists and turns when one least expects it. Right from the lead track Holako (Hulagu) - featuring a poem by late Iraqi poet Sargon Boulus (1944-2007) rendered into song for the first time - the band immediately reveal their intention. Louca's gritty electronic percussion melds with Allami's rhythmic oud, and builds until the explosion of a driving rhythmic section, backing Abu Ghazaleh's frenzied buzuq, leads to a cinematic climax of soaring strings and raging drums. The startling synergy of these five musicians is retained throughout the album. A fiery sermon rages in Al-Khutba Al-Akhira (The Last Declamation) as the tumult of Yassine's acoustic percussion gives way to Louca's piercing synths, intertwining with Abu Ghazaleh's potent diction. From the melancholic beauty of Dars Min Kama Sutra (A Lesson from Kama Sutra) - which features the tantalizing verses of renowned Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish (1942-2008) - to the majestic and surreal album-closer Eish Jabkum Hon? (What Brings You Here?), penned by the band's own Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, each track bursts with rhythmic drive and fervor. The band's wide-ranging influences, along with their unified and intriguing energy, give birth to a soundscape that is at once familiar and unknown. Mixed by Ali Chant of Toybox Studios, Bristol, UK (PJ Harvey, Rokia Traore, Yann Tiersen, Gruff Rhys, John Parish) and mastered by John Dent of Loud Mastering, UK (Bob Marley, Nick Drake, Yann Tiersen, Massive Attack, Nick Cave), Aynama-Rtama traces a complex labyrinth of genres, sounds, and emotions, rendered as a unique postcard of the tumultuous rollercoaster-ride of it's time. The album is adorned in artwork featuring a painting by Syrian-Lebanese visual artist Semaan Khawam. His colorful, surreal paintings, combined with original typography by Egyptian designer Salma Shamel, perfectly complement the complexities latent in Alif's music and lyrics. All editions also feature Nariman Youssef's English translations of the poems and lyrics.
Tracks:
1.1 01. Holako (Hulagu) (4:09)
1.2 02. Dars Min Kama Sutra (A Lesson from Kama Sutra) (6:39)
1.3 03. Al-Juththa (The Corpse) (5:57)
1.4 04. I'tiraf (Confession) (4:55)
1.5 05. Al-Khutba Al-Akhira (The Last Declamation) (5:37)
1.6 06. Yalla Tnam (Lullaby) (5:34)
1.7 07. Watti Es-Sawt (Keep It Down) (4:38)
1.8 08. Eish Jabkum Hon? (What Brings You Here?) (4:08)
