Wewantsounds Vinyl & CDs

Review: Ammar El Sherei's intoxicating instrumental album Oriental Music was written in 1976 and has remained a cult classic for all the deep diggers, world music lovers and curio obsessives. For this record, the iconic Egyptian artist, composer and producer actually served up his own take on six classic compositions by another Egyptian legend, Mohamed Abdel Wahab. The results are utterly hypnotic and majestic melodic affairs with organic drums and percussion and North African melodies that worm their way deep into your brain and transport you to the hustle and bustle of a dusty open air market or street side coffee spot.

Review: When it comes to offering up re-mastered reissues of obscure Lebanese music, Wewantsounds has previous form. They've already delivered a new edition of Ziad Rahbani's "Abu Ali" LP and here serve up a fresh pressing of an album he produced: "Wahdon", a hard-to-find 1978 set by her mother, legendary Middle Eastern chanteuse Fairuz. It's a set of stark contrasts. While the A-side tracks indulge the more traditional side of Fairuz's output -think Lebanese vocals and instrumentation in the style of pop music from the region made in the period - the flipside cuts see her taking calculated risks. "Al Bosta" is a funk, soul and disco influenced club cut of the highest order, while "Wahdon" is a sumptuously symphonic soul slow jam straight from the top drawer.

Review: Available here for the first time on vinyl, Lebanese singer Fairuz's 1991 album - previously only sold on CD and tape - has lost none of its romance or immersive qualities since the last time you heard it. Meanwhile, if this is your first outing with the eastern Mediterranean siren, prepare to dive into a mesmerising experience in which Arabic tones meets jazz-funk on an impressive scale, with unarguably rich depth.

A career spanning six decades, Fairuz is nothing short of a legend in her home region, with many citing her among the most famous vocalists from the Arab world. The Soul of Lebanon, no less, her voice is incredible but the work she aligned with, and pushed into the mainstream, is perhaps what's most impressive. Straddling genres and cultures with aplomb, the tragedy of the western music industry's homogenous attitude means many are still unaware. Thankfully, here's chance to rectify that.

Review: Farid El Atrache's Nagham Fi Hayati is one of those cult records that diggers pride themselves just for knowing about, let alone owning. It now gets a first ever reissue since its initial release in 1974 by the Voice of Lebanon label thanks to Wewantsounds. It is a soundtrack to the eponymous movie and has been sampled by the likes of The Beatles. El Atrache's unique vocal style and rare versatility is showcased across the tracks as as some brilliantly funky world rhythms on monster grooves like 'Hebina Hebina' which is said to be a favourite of Brian Eno, no less.

Review: Abdel Halim Hafez was amongst the most popular singers in Egypt during his lifetime, and Mawood remains one of his most treasured albums in a rich catalogue. The album originally came out in 1971, and with music composed by Baligh Hamdi and the legendary Omar Khorshid on guitar, it's more than worthy of this reissue some 30 years after it was last seen in print. It's a live recording clamouring with intensity, and on this edition the remastering brings the music to life in even greater fashion. The record comes with a two-page insert featuring new liner notes from Mario Choueiry, who oversees the Wewantsounds Arabic reissues series.

Review: Wewantsounds' 2019 Record Store Day release takes us back to 1978 and a hard-to-find 12" single from Lebanese composer, pianist, playwright and political commentator Ziad Rahbani. "Abu Ali" is perhaps not Rahbani's best known work - in the Arab world his various albums are far more celebrated - but it is one that has chimed with Western audiences thanks to its assimilation of elements of American disco, soul and funk. The title track is something of a beast: a 10-minute epic that wraps Arabic orchestration, mazy horn refrains and prominent piano motifs around an atmospheric disco groove and intergalactic synthesizer lines. It's bonkers but brilliant, making this reissue more than welcome. On the flipside there's a chance to enjoy "Prelude (Theme from Mais El Rim)", an epic example of Rahbani's 1970s soundtrack work.

Review: Lebanese cultural icon Ziad Rahbani's cult album Bennesbeh Labokra was long ago awarded its classic status. This reissue will likely introduce it to a whole new audience as well as please those who covet its sought after charms. It is a seamless fusion of Arab music and bossa rhythms, with serene jazzy vibes, dainty piano and cinematic orchestrations. Some of the tracks have lots of room to breathe and let in light and air, others are more complex such as 'Variation 5' which helps make this such a rewarding listen. It's hard to think of albums from the Middle East that have proven as important as this one over the years.

Review: Houdou Nisbi is a top draw, cult classic record from Ziad Rahbani that now gets a deserving reissue on Wewantsounds. It was recorded in around 1984-85 and originally came out on the sought-after Lebanese label Relax-in in 1991, and only on CD and tape. Now it lands on vinyl for the first time and still sounds as good in the way it fuses Arabic sounds with jazz, boogie, funk and even hints of Brazil. Original groove fans heralded this as one of the best of its kind and this newly remastered version, which has been curated by Lebanese DJ, radio host and compiler Ernesto Chahoud, certainly backs that up.

Review: Compilation specialists Wewantsounds return once again; this time their focus is squared on the Bossa Nova movement. Popularised in the 1960s, Bossa Nova's roots actually took place in the prior decade and this 20-track collection looks to chronicle the movement's emergence properly. Artists readily associated with Bossa Nova of course feature, but the Wewantsounds crew have dug a bit deeper to highlight some of the lesser known, cult practitioners too. Therefore you get a nice blend, from Joao Gilberto to Celso Murilo via Elza Soares and Orlann Divo. Featuring sleeve notes from French music journalist Jacques Denis, Bossa Nova is a fine introductory compilation for those who wish to discover more about the subtle differences between early bossa and the more relaxed samba Cancao.