Country : Morocco Label : On the Corner Genres and styles : Africa / Bass Music / Electronic / Maghrebi Year : 2020

Son of Sun

· by Rupert Bottenberg

A savvy producer and dedicated digger into his region’s vinyl history, Casablanca’s Abdellah M. Hassak has been stirring up anticipation for his first release under the Guedra Guedra banner. At home in Casablanca, he’s already an established figure, on the one hand for more sober sound project, in film, theatre, and dance, on the other for bumping club nights and notable collabs.

His record hunting is in pursuit of much more than just that elusive perfect break, it’s an act of semi-formal cultural research, assembling auditory puzzle pieces for a bigger, deeper picture of the Maghreb and Africa at large – soundtracks, pop oddities, field recordings, archival mementos, you name it. It’s the raw material from which he’s built his debut EP, six tracks of rattling percussion, antsy polyrhythms, cheerful chants and pop-song fragments, and a ritualistic disposition that ratchets up to the almost riotous.

Hassak isn’t overly concerned with being at the very vanguard of electronic music on his debut. The airhorn on “Juke Lockstep” seems almost old-timey, for instance. He is, however, seeking to channel the exuberant spirit of the places he loves, past and present, and the vitality of the tracks that have resulted is undeniable. 

Latest 360 Content

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Blondshell – If You Asked For a Picture

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Hitting a Fever Pitch at the Ribbon Skirt LP Launch 

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Wu-Tang Clan & Mathematics – Black Samson, the Bastard Swordsman.

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Dalit Hadass Warshaw, Boston Modern Orchestra Project / Gil Rose – Sirens

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Howard Shore/Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France – Shore : Anthology

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

Quatuor Diotima – Boulez : Livre pour quatuor

LMNL – Rainbow

LMNL – Rainbow

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Strat Andriotis – Exits

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Richard Reed Parry – The Actor

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Tamara Stefanovich – Organised Delirium

Galan Trio – Embrace

Galan Trio – Embrace

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Jack Van Zandt – A Chaos of Light and Motion

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Tommy Crane – Reality Curated: Live at Ursa

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

Thomas DeLio – Anti-paysage

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

No Hay Banda – Steven Kazuo Takasugi : Il Teatro Rosso

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Vancouver Contemporary Orchestra; Vancouver Chamber Choir – Christopher Tyler Nickel : Mass; Te Deum

Hypercube – The Force for Good

Hypercube – The Force for Good

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

PUP – Who Will Look After the Dogs?

Duo AYA – Cycles

Duo AYA – Cycles

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Papillon Social Club – Dur de la feuille

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Coalescent Quartet – The Wall Between Us

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Samuel Bonnet Trio – Live in Harmony

Marc-André Hamelin; Quatuor Takacs – Dvořák & Price : Piano Quintets

Marc-André Hamelin; Quatuor Takacs – Dvořák & Price : Piano Quintets

Subscribe to our newsletter