Hussein Sherbini

I spoke to electronic artist Hussein Sherbini from his base in Cairo. We spoke about his new Fairchile ep – from which he kindly gave us an exclusive – and asked about where the music was best heard.

HS: My music is mainly made for live and I’m currently working on a set that will include live vocals and concept visuals that follow the Fairchile artwork, which is composed of green lazers and flames reflected on what appears to be a chrome cave… when it’s just tin foil. As you may know, Egypt is currently going through rough times as we are fighting to avoid civil war.

During the past months there have been several protests in Tahrir Square where millions of people marched. There’s been many green lazers. Which suggests that Egyptians can throw the biggest rave on the planet.

DB: You’re part of a collective?

HS: Yes, part of a collective of underground artists known as the Kairo Is Koming collective (KIK) formed of several acts similar to mine. The collective was born prior to our Swiss tour last winter where we played 4 shows in Basel, Olten, Shaffhaussen and Zürich. We are currently organizing a coming tour in October and so far we have confirmed gigs in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France too.

DB: The music’s ‘low fi’ but is fully-realised at once. Does that make sense? It’s simple but full-powered. If it was a painting it would be a very interesting depiction. Lots of space.

HS: Yes it is loud and sometimes ‘lo fi’ as you mentioned, but still expressive because this loudness and lo-fi character comes from my environment.

Cairo is probably one of the loudest most crowded cities on the planet. Not to mention the obscure social economic status that we live in where you have 40% of the population below the poverty line and yet fuel is almost the same price as water. There are probably more satellite TV dishes in the most poor communities in Cairo than there are in any of the world’s highest GDP ranking cities. It’s such a strong projection of how Egyptians know how to make the best out of any condition. It’s the main driving force behind Egyptian bedroom producers and striving artists like myself.

DB: When do you like to produce?

HS: I mainly like to produce in the dark, I’d love to not have to look at a computer screen at all while making music.

DB: What is forthcoming?

HS: The Fairchile ep is my debut release, but I’m also currently working on a second EP that might turn out to be an album. The current live set will include Fairchile and bits of the upcoming EP.

- Fried My Little Brain

I spoke to electronic artist Hussein Sherbini from his base in Cairo. We spoke about his new Fairchile ep – from which he kindly gave us an exclusive – and asked about where the music was best heard.

HS: My music is mainly made for live and I’m currently working on a set that will include live vocals and concept visuals that follow the Fairchile artwork, which is composed of green lazers and flames reflected on what appears to be a chrome cave… when it’s just tin foil. As you may know, Egypt is currently going through rough times as we are fighting to avoid civil war.

During the past months there have been several protests in Tahrir Square where millions of people marched. There’s been many green lazers. Which suggests that Egyptians can throw the biggest rave on the planet.

DB: You’re part of a collective?

HS: Yes, part of a collective of underground artists known as the Kairo Is Koming collective (KIK) formed of several acts similar to mine. The collective was born prior to our Swiss tour last winter where we played 4 shows in Basel, Olten, Shaffhaussen and Zürich. We are currently organizing a coming tour in October and so far we have confirmed gigs in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France too.

DB: The music’s ‘low fi’ but is fully-realised at once. Does that make sense? It’s simple but full-powered. If it was a painting it would be a very interesting depiction. Lots of space.

HS: Yes it is loud and sometimes ‘lo fi’ as you mentioned, but still expressive because this loudness and lo-fi character comes from my environment.

Cairo is probably one of the loudest most crowded cities on the planet. Not to mention the obscure social economic status that we live in where you have 40% of the population below the poverty line and yet fuel is almost the same price as water. There are probably more satellite TV dishes in the most poor communities in Cairo than there are in any of the world’s highest GDP ranking cities. It’s such a strong projection of how Egyptians know how to make the best out of any condition. It’s the main driving force behind Egyptian bedroom producers and striving artists like myself.

DB: When do you like to produce?

HS: I mainly like to produce in the dark, I’d love to not have to look at a computer screen at all while making music.

DB: What is forthcoming?

HS: The Fairchile ep is my debut release, but I’m also currently working on a second EP that might turn out to be an album. The current live set will include Fairchile and bits of the upcoming EP.

- Fried My Little Brain

When an EP like Hussein Sherbini’s Fairchile comes out, it’s hard to look at it within the context of Egypt’s music scene because it is nothing like anything Egypt has ever heard. It’s not experimental; it has a soul, a story, a togetherness and a calculated heart beat. It is also nothing to do with the “ahh daa Acid ya man?” that your nearest Deep House DJ might be tempted to holler out. If you have to label it as something, you could call it ‘Heavy Break,’ personifying the huge bass kicks and build ups that underline the EP; a sound not too dissimilar to Sherbini’s previous work with the Wetrobots where the power and energy of each track was their signature. However, there is no doubt that this is a far cry from the Pop/Electro-Trash sound that had young girls bopping their heads to catchy hooks on tracks like Disco Me which lead to the ‘bots success earlier this year, taking them on a tour around Europe and piquing the interests of international publications. Having toured Europe and featured on countless international publications. “A lot of the sounds are still somewhat similar to Wetrobots though, like the heavily processed vocals and some of the bass lines. Not necessarily melodically, but sonically, I think there’s still some Wetrobots in there,” Sherbini told us.

The first track on the EP, Fairchile 55, is 3.24 minutes of reaching emotive vocals, redolent of Marz Volta’s Cedric Bixler-Zavala, that precedes the powerful reverberant drum line in Fifty Six which comes out like a masochistic shot gun to the head. The EP starts to collect pace by the third track, Safe, and after two minutes of rapid synth movement, underscored by that trademark kick and a beautifully subtle Hi-Hat-esque click that recoils around your head, Sherbini’s genius shines out as scattered, child-like bells ping un-rhythmically, before dropping into the bass with an ecstatic cadence that makes you feel like you’ve just started the exhilarating drop of a rollercoaster.

Fairchile has been in the works for over six months now and though his original plan was to create an EP that synchronises inspiration from Techno and Hip Hop, the record came out with the overruling influence that 90’s music had on him, never more evident than in the title track, which seamlessly falls into a triumphant Glam-Rock-style “Come make us wanna chase you all through the night,” and the rip-your-hair out chorus where he screams “Out of control!” It’s not pitch-perfect, but they were too busy shooting heroin and fucking groupies backstage in the 90s to be too concerned with that kind of thing anyway. The penultimate track, Liana, plays out like a love story from the future with beautiful piano keys juxtaposing the boisterous build up before the EP ends, fraught with haunting dark energy; a metallic spiral into the abyss in Ought.

More than anything, you can tell that this is an EP which is made to be performed live, in the midst of “green lasers and fire,” as Sherbini dreams up. It’s an evocative catalyst of chaos and self-discovery told through the story of Fairchile. Who is Fairchile, though? “He’s a character that I decided at some point should be created out of this EP because the way it progresses could very well tell a story. I love score music and it’s something we’ve been doing for a while at Epic 101 Studios. The idea developed to the point where I decided to release a story book with the EP which is almost like a comic. At the end of the EP, a character called Faya appears for this “To Be Continued” kind of ending. I’m already working on the second EP which will be called Faya.”

The story book finds Fairchile waking up in a strange world. Confused by his new biology, as green lights begin to emit from him, he’s faced by enemies out to get him and potential heroines trying to save him. It’s an epic fantasy story told through music, reminiscent of Coheed and Cambria and it truly adds a whole other layer to the album, strongly stamping Sherbini’s mark as a cinematic producer.

Best listened to through decent headphones or “big-ass-speakers,” download Hussein Sherbini’s debut EP Fairchile with the digital story book here. - Cairo Scene

When an EP like Hussein Sherbini’s Fairchile comes out, it’s hard to look at it within the context of Egypt’s music scene because it is nothing like anything Egypt has ever heard. It’s not experimental; it has a soul, a story, a togetherness and a calculated heart beat. It is also nothing to do with the “ahh daa Acid ya man?” that your nearest Deep House DJ might be tempted to holler out. If you have to label it as something, you could call it ‘Heavy Break,’ personifying the huge bass kicks and build ups that underline the EP; a sound not too dissimilar to Sherbini’s previous work with the Wetrobots where the power and energy of each track was their signature. However, there is no doubt that this is a far cry from the Pop/Electro-Trash sound that had young girls bopping their heads to catchy hooks on tracks like Disco Me which lead to the ‘bots success earlier this year, taking them on a tour around Europe and piquing the interests of international publications. Having toured Europe and featured on countless international publications. “A lot of the sounds are still somewhat similar to Wetrobots though, like the heavily processed vocals and some of the bass lines. Not necessarily melodically, but sonically, I think there’s still some Wetrobots in there,” Sherbini told us.

The first track on the EP, Fairchile 55, is 3.24 minutes of reaching emotive vocals, redolent of Marz Volta’s Cedric Bixler-Zavala, that precedes the powerful reverberant drum line in Fifty Six which comes out like a masochistic shot gun to the head. The EP starts to collect pace by the third track, Safe, and after two minutes of rapid synth movement, underscored by that trademark kick and a beautifully subtle Hi-Hat-esque click that recoils around your head, Sherbini’s genius shines out as scattered, child-like bells ping un-rhythmically, before dropping into the bass with an ecstatic cadence that makes you feel like you’ve just started the exhilarating drop of a rollercoaster.

Fairchile has been in the works for over six months now and though his original plan was to create an EP that synchronises inspiration from Techno and Hip Hop, the record came out with the overruling influence that 90’s music had on him, never more evident than in the title track, which seamlessly falls into a triumphant Glam-Rock-style “Come make us wanna chase you all through the night,” and the rip-your-hair out chorus where he screams “Out of control!” It’s not pitch-perfect, but they were too busy shooting heroin and fucking groupies backstage in the 90s to be too concerned with that kind of thing anyway. The penultimate track, Liana, plays out like a love story from the future with beautiful piano keys juxtaposing the boisterous build up before the EP ends, fraught with haunting dark energy; a metallic spiral into the abyss in Ought.

More than anything, you can tell that this is an EP which is made to be performed live, in the midst of “green lasers and fire,” as Sherbini dreams up. It’s an evocative catalyst of chaos and self-discovery told through the story of Fairchile. Who is Fairchile, though? “He’s a character that I decided at some point should be created out of this EP because the way it progresses could very well tell a story. I love score music and it’s something we’ve been doing for a while at Epic 101 Studios. The idea developed to the point where I decided to release a story book with the EP which is almost like a comic. At the end of the EP, a character called Faya appears for this “To Be Continued” kind of ending. I’m already working on the second EP which will be called Faya.”

The story book finds Fairchile waking up in a strange world. Confused by his new biology, as green lights begin to emit from him, he’s faced by enemies out to get him and potential heroines trying to save him. It’s an epic fantasy story told through music, reminiscent of Coheed and Cambria and it truly adds a whole other layer to the album, strongly stamping Sherbini’s mark as a cinematic producer.

Best listened to through decent headphones or “big-ass-speakers,” download Hussein Sherbini’s debut EP Fairchile with the digital story book here. - Cairo Scene

electronic outfits. Earlier on we reported about the excellent Egyptian electro clash outfit Wetrobots, and now the band informs us that Wetrobots's Hussein Sherbini (also active within the underground electronic music collective Kairo Is Koming (KIK)) has started a new project under his own name, Hussein El Sherbini.

The EP, "Fairchile", is Hussein's debut EP and counts 6 tracks: "Fairchild55", "FitySix", "Safe", "Fairchile", "Liana", "Ought". The EP will be out on August 15. We have been able listening to the complete EP and you may expect fresh down tempo electronics with scarcely used vocal parts. The project will be touring Europe this October along with KIK members, Ahmed Ghazouli, Asem Tag, Ismail Hosny, Bosaina & Nader Ahmed.

A short video preview for the EP is available below. - Side-Line Magazine

electronic outfits. Earlier on we reported about the excellent Egyptian electro clash outfit Wetrobots, and now the band informs us that Wetrobots's Hussein Sherbini (also active within the underground electronic music collective Kairo Is Koming (KIK)) has started a new project under his own name, Hussein El Sherbini.

The EP, "Fairchile", is Hussein's debut EP and counts 6 tracks: "Fairchild55", "FitySix", "Safe", "Fairchile", "Liana", "Ought". The EP will be out on August 15. We have been able listening to the complete EP and you may expect fresh down tempo electronics with scarcely used vocal parts. The project will be touring Europe this October along with KIK members, Ahmed Ghazouli, Asem Tag, Ismail Hosny, Bosaina & Nader Ahmed.

A short video preview for the EP is available below. - Side-Line Magazine

Like the traffic-clogged streets of his hometown of Cairo, Hussien Sherbini brings technology and soot together into something dark and cloudy. His music sounds like the disjointed echoes of beats and bass bouncing from the walls of a black hole. This fourth-dimensional cave music could easily be a blend of high-minded bass labels like Hessle Audio or Fade To Mind with the weirder sounds of synthwave and noise music.

He's not alone in this borderless vision and reps WETROBOTS, the Kairo Is Koming collective, and Epic 101 Studios as partners. These days he and his ilk are either locked away in their studios at night under curfew, or charming their way past checkpoints to meet up. Below, he talks to us about the city's apparently shitty sound systems, sneaking around to party after curfew, and trying to play electronic music to confused local crowds.

THUMP: How has the turmoil in your country affected your music?
Hussein Sherbini: It has forced me to stay in the studio more and finish more music. Also, it kind of pressured me to start getting things out there before things get much worse in the country and it becomes too late to reach out. At times like these you really can't tell what's coming next.

Also, it became a trend to buy these lasers and point them at the military choppers from Tahrir Square during the recent protests. Like the day President Morsi was removed. I bought one of those lasers when I was in Tahrir. When I got back to the studio, I was playing around with it and realized that it would be visually insane if I used it in the EP artwork. So I experimented with it for a while and all sorts of ideas started happening. I wanted to do a cover photo with me in the dark with green lasers. I'm planning on integrating the artwork concept as live visuals.

Has the mood changed at your shows recently?
Not at all. Egyptians have always had this urge to party. We make a party out of anything.

With curfew in effect, does that mean you're throwing daytime parties?
[Laughs] Yeah. But we throw parties after curfew as well. But not like gigs, more like house parties and stuff. We just meet at someone's place and get booze and blast music.

You have to stay there until morning?
Yeah. We get stopped at army checkpoints after curfew. But they just search us and let us go. You're not supposed to be out on the streets from 11PM to 9AM. Because that's when the "bad guys" are out. It's just because things have been getting really violent recently. You could get arrested if you seem like you're out to make trouble. That includes of course carrying weapons or money bags. Also, if you're drunk or if you have possession of alcohol or drugs, they will arrest you. But we're usually very polite and obedient when they stop us, so they just let us go. We're never really out to cause any form of trouble anyway.

What type of music do you listen to?
I listen to everything, but I have been recently listening to a lot of British bass music. It sounded interesting I guess, like these people weren't following any specific rules. I find this stuff mainly through the internet—blogs and social media.

I do have to say though that recently I've been listening to a lot of local hip-hop and what is known as "electro shaaby." My sound and their sound comes from the same place. We're independent musicians making loud music that comes straight from our environment. Specifically the traffic. I think that I spend 70 percent of my day in Cairo traffic.

When I look at the sounds I choose and the way I design sound in general, there is always this pattern of trying to make things dirty and detailed. Traffic in Cairo is so horrible, yet, somehow people are getting used to it. There is so much detail in how you survive daily traffic. From the way people park, the way microbus drivers sew through traffic, and how little teens on rented chinese bikes perform stunts and wheelies in the midst of all this.

How has Western music influenced you?
A huge part of why I got into music was my dad's musical taste. He's a huge fan of the Bee Gees, The Eagles, Elton John, Super Tramp, and Don McLean. I used to love family road trips as a child because he'd have all these mix tapes with amazing music. My dad works at IBM and my mom is a house wife. But they're very supportive of what I do, even though they don't really understand what it is. They still think I play the guitar.

I was so influenced by how records like Michael Jackson's BAD and Thriller were made. Basically, the way the drums sounded in the mix. The way background vocals from the 90s had so much detail, with the use of effects. You'd have songs like Michael Jackson "You Rock My World," where the chorus vocal is almost whispering, yet it's still in your face.

So you're very deep into the technical side of things?
Yeah - THUMP

Like the traffic-clogged streets of his hometown of Cairo, Hussien Sherbini brings technology and soot together into something dark and cloudy. His music sounds like the disjointed echoes of beats and bass bouncing from the walls of a black hole. This fourth-dimensional cave music could easily be a blend of high-minded bass labels like Hessle Audio or Fade To Mind with the weirder sounds of synthwave and noise music.

He's not alone in this borderless vision and reps WETROBOTS, the Kairo Is Koming collective, and Epic 101 Studios as partners. These days he and his ilk are either locked away in their studios at night under curfew, or charming their way past checkpoints to meet up. Below, he talks to us about the city's apparently shitty sound systems, sneaking around to party after curfew, and trying to play electronic music to confused local crowds.

THUMP: How has the turmoil in your country affected your music?
Hussein Sherbini: It has forced me to stay in the studio more and finish more music. Also, it kind of pressured me to start getting things out there before things get much worse in the country and it becomes too late to reach out. At times like these you really can't tell what's coming next.

Also, it became a trend to buy these lasers and point them at the military choppers from Tahrir Square during the recent protests. Like the day President Morsi was removed. I bought one of those lasers when I was in Tahrir. When I got back to the studio, I was playing around with it and realized that it would be visually insane if I used it in the EP artwork. So I experimented with it for a while and all sorts of ideas started happening. I wanted to do a cover photo with me in the dark with green lasers. I'm planning on integrating the artwork concept as live visuals.

Has the mood changed at your shows recently?
Not at all. Egyptians have always had this urge to party. We make a party out of anything.

With curfew in effect, does that mean you're throwing daytime parties?
[Laughs] Yeah. But we throw parties after curfew as well. But not like gigs, more like house parties and stuff. We just meet at someone's place and get booze and blast music.

You have to stay there until morning?
Yeah. We get stopped at army checkpoints after curfew. But they just search us and let us go. You're not supposed to be out on the streets from 11PM to 9AM. Because that's when the "bad guys" are out. It's just because things have been getting really violent recently. You could get arrested if you seem like you're out to make trouble. That includes of course carrying weapons or money bags. Also, if you're drunk or if you have possession of alcohol or drugs, they will arrest you. But we're usually very polite and obedient when they stop us, so they just let us go. We're never really out to cause any form of trouble anyway.

What type of music do you listen to?
I listen to everything, but I have been recently listening to a lot of British bass music. It sounded interesting I guess, like these people weren't following any specific rules. I find this stuff mainly through the internet—blogs and social media.

I do have to say though that recently I've been listening to a lot of local hip-hop and what is known as "electro shaaby." My sound and their sound comes from the same place. We're independent musicians making loud music that comes straight from our environment. Specifically the traffic. I think that I spend 70 percent of my day in Cairo traffic.

When I look at the sounds I choose and the way I design sound in general, there is always this pattern of trying to make things dirty and detailed. Traffic in Cairo is so horrible, yet, somehow people are getting used to it. There is so much detail in how you survive daily traffic. From the way people park, the way microbus drivers sew through traffic, and how little teens on rented chinese bikes perform stunts and wheelies in the midst of all this.

How has Western music influenced you?
A huge part of why I got into music was my dad's musical taste. He's a huge fan of the Bee Gees, The Eagles, Elton John, Super Tramp, and Don McLean. I used to love family road trips as a child because he'd have all these mix tapes with amazing music. My dad works at IBM and my mom is a house wife. But they're very supportive of what I do, even though they don't really understand what it is. They still think I play the guitar.

I was so influenced by how records like Michael Jackson's BAD and Thriller were made. Basically, the way the drums sounded in the mix. The way background vocals from the 90s had so much detail, with the use of effects. You'd have songs like Michael Jackson "You Rock My World," where the chorus vocal is almost whispering, yet it's still in your face.

So you're very deep into the technical side of things?
Yeah - THUMP