The reedy tones of a synthesizer bleed into the soundscape of dissonant electronics. Subsonic bass shakes the earth as metallic percussion comes down like thunder.
When the storm breaks, a frantic beat kicks into gear. Live drum fills, clinking finger cymbals, and a syncopated bass drum fuel the revelry for what sounds like a wedding party teetering on the edge of doom.
This is “Procession” and “Phase #5,” back-to-back tracks off Three Phase, the debut album by Egyptian artist 3Phaz. Arriving March 27 on the Cairo-based independent record label 100Copies, the album represents the latest example of artists taking inspiration from mahraganat, a style of bombastic Egyptian street music that has gained in massive popularity across the Middle.