Saint Abdullah is a project by two Iranian brothers, producers based between Brooklyn and Tehran, Iran, creating sounds largely inspired by the religious, political, and cultural history (and reality) of Iran.
Raised in a conservative Shia Muslim family between Iran, Canada, and the UK, Saint Abdullah's most prominent exposure to music came from family visits to the mosque. Particularly during the holy month of Muharram, where Shia orators would lead mass ceremonies commemorating the martyrdom of Husayn, the grandson of the prophet Muhammad, in the Battle of Karbala in 680 CE.
With The Sounds of Evil, Saint Abdullah tell their Iranian tale as they have felt it— passionately and unapologetically revisiting the roots of their childhood in post Islamic revolution, war-torn Iran. These are family stories—of martyrdom, of struggle with loss, of the tragedies of war, pieced together through aggressive sound collage, cultural sample archeology, and rhythmic structure.
Driven by spliced samples of the thundering sound of see-ne za-ni (ritualistic self flagellation or chest beating), the cry of Shia orators, distorted howls, vintage news clips, and a molten and pummeling pulse, Saint Abdullah twist and renew a sense of time and space. One that channels and challenges these times that we live in. This is political music, this is sacred music, and for most of us in the west, this is new music.
For the two Iranian brothers, there's no question that Saint Abdullah formed out of a deep frustration with the way the West perceives—and treats Muslims (Islam). Their hope is that through music, they can help inform a larger inter- cultural dialogue—to build compassion in the way humans deal with issues surrounding race, religion, culture.
7” single featuring two of the standout tunes, with cover art designed by Iranian artist Moshen Zare. Volume 1 presents the beginning of this sonic venture, with a second installment to follow in the near future.
After a flurry of releases over the past 4 years for the likes of Deep Medi, Zam Zam Sounds, Danse Noir, and most recently for Discrepant with his acclaimed long-form abstraction "Ghost Tapes," El Mahdy Jr. returns to Boomarm Nation for an anticipated follow up to his internationally praised and sought-after 2013 debut LP "The Spirit of Fucked Up Places”.
With "Time to Sell the Golden Teeth," El Mahdy Jr. continues where he left off with an evolving palette of rough hewn-beats unburdened by genre constraints, thick atmospherics, and a very deep and dubwise center of gravity. Drawing from the sounds of his cultural background, and the daily grind of living in an increasingly loud and hostile capitalist world, the sounds presented here display the deft evolution of an ambitious young beat maker and experimentalist into a poised, focused, and selfless artist who places his emphasis on the emotion and energy of sound and place over the wild self importance of being an "artist".
Boomarm Nation and Sahel Sounds join forces yet again with this mighty sound-system mix of Tuareg synth maestro Hama's smash hit "Imidiwan N'assouf." A follow up to his stellar 2015 LP for Sahel Sounds, this single was recorded in Niamey, Niger and mixed at Boomarm Nation HQ in Portland, Oregon. Featuring a blissfully dubbed out version on the B-Side by Boomarm's Krucial Kuts (aka El Mahdy Jr. and Gulls). Released in a limited run of 10" vinyl housed in hand stamped recycled jackets, 550 copies for the world.
Hama is a multi instrumentalist and electronic synthesizer composer from the Republic of Niger. His music has enjoyed wide acclaim throughout the country through his underground releases of unlabeled digital recordings on memory cards. Creating at the convergence of disparate influences, such as North African instrumental synth, Tuareg tishumaren, 90s Nigerien Hip Hop and second wave Detroit techno, Hama composes music that is futuristic and rooted in tradition, transmitting Tuareg guitar into the 21st Century.
a. Hama - Imidiwan N'assouf
b. Hama - Imidiwan N'assouf (Krucial Kuts Dub Mix)
As the needle drops, a haunting overdriven voice cries out from a cavern of distorted marimba pulses. “People sell them souls for a slice of bread...” A stark statement of realness, conviction, and the choices we all make. This is sound system music for the citizens of the world, welcoming the struggle and darkness that unites.
With “To The End” E3 creates a meditative musical darkness enveloped fully in the spiritual warmth of syncopated sub bass, rolling watery hi-hats, chopped vocals that sing like a call to prayer amidst powerful throws to the dub siren.
Real recognize real here in PDX.
Eager to work together again after Alter Echo & E3 remixed El Mahdy Jr’s “Phantomatik” on his mesmerizing debut LP for Boomarm Nation, E3 sent Mahdy the tune to remix, and was floored by what the Algerian master of space-time turned in: an epic, swaggering riddim erupting with guttural growls and spectral vocals turned inside out, full of declamatory power but with meanings no longer intelligible to surface-dwellers. Intense and powerful beat music for your next subterranean bashment. Fresh off his new LP for Discrepant, this track will linger in your psyche long after its 3 1/2 minute runtime.
Channeling the DIY spirit of both Jamaican sound system culture and American punk rock, our man E3 aka Ezra E Ereckson is a long time staple of West Coast sound system music. Based in Portland, Oregon together with his wife, artist and designer Tracy Harrison (Polygon Press), they run the renowned ZamZam Sounds, a vinyl only label releasing exquisite DUB music from across the world, packaged in stunning hand-printed jackets. A long-time DJ, producer and vocalist, E3 distills his talents and vision into this breakout solo release for Boomarm Nation. Known for his string of ZamZam Sounds releases alongside partner Alter Echo - particular after last year’s “Nubian Dub” / “Warning Dub” 7” became a sought-after underground hit - E3 has lately been making moves with solo remixes of artists as diverse as Ishan Sound and Peter Broderick.
Mixed in the Boomarm DOJO by Gulls and E3, and mastered by Timothy Stollenwerk. Pressed in an edition of 550 7" vinyl, housed in hand stamped heavyweight chipboard sleeves designed by Polygon Press.
SKRS has built up a strong aesthetic by now, a culmination of soundsystem culture and smoke-filled echo chambers on overload, with the wires sparking and the lights dimming with each blast of frequency shooting from outta the bassbins and tweeters.
- Includes download code of the full 10 track album -
![Saint Abdullah - The Sounds of Evil Vol. 1 [7" Vinyl]](http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0488/8057/products/boomarm14_{width}x.jpg?v=1497533250)
