Dar Disku announce debut album, set for release this September

Dar Disku have announced the release of their self-titled debut album, set for release in September via Soundway Records.

Promising to embody the duo's deep-rooted passion for musical traditions of the SWANA (South West Asia and North Africa) region and current electronic sounds, hip hop, psychedelia and beyond, lead single 'Dbayli' - featuring Algerian singer Yacine Elkhaldi - offers a taste of what's to come:

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"This was the first song recorded during the album writing process, inspired by our desire to create a track for the smoky discotheques of the SWANA region to play in our club sets," the pair explain. "Demos were exchanged via WhatsApp between Bristol and Algeria for almost one month before the track was finalised, and the feeling of hearing Yacine’s raw take was truly magical.

“Having been tried and tested on dance floors between Croatia, Bahrain, Rajasthan and London, we knew this track would be something special to us. It is a true nod to the disco movement across the region, particularly Algeria, Lebanon and Egypt.

“Yacine first came to our attention after we came across a clip of him performing on social media,” they add. “When we finished writing the instrumental for the single, we were searching for vocals that could really resonate with us emotionally and Yacine’s did just that. Yacine’s ability to create feelings of joy and melancholy at the same time made it obvious that he was the correct choice. His vocals are reminiscent of the rai greats such as Cheb Khaled, Faudel and more.”

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The album has been dubbed a "culmination of years of learning, listening and creating" by its press release, capturing a variety of emotions of cinema through analogous techniques. The body of work traverses influences including - but not limited to - Egyptian folk, Turkish psych, Algerian rai, Sudanese funk, Ethiopian jazz and Khaleeji disco, as the duo sonically "try to capture what time travelling...through our different influences would feel like."

"Although inspired directly [by] some of our favourite hidden gems from the past," the duo affirm, "the sound of this record remains unmistakably rooted in our present day where current influences from electronic genres, hip hop, jazz and psychedelia also shine through.”

You can pre-order Dar Disku's self-titled debut album here ahead of its release this September and check out single 'Dbayli' featuring Yacine Elkhaldi here.

Niamh Ingram is Mixmag's Weekend Editor, follow her on Instagram