On February 10th 2022, Abdullah Miniawy and HVAD released the album “Notice a Tiny Scratch for the Blue Behind” on ULLLU as the first release on the newly founded label by HVAD. The album expands on the collaboration first heard on the track “The Dirty Canes Lake” released via Cairo based label IRSH and also featured on the full length album.
In a landscape no doubt inspired by pre-Islamic Arabia Abdullah Miniawy recalls djinns and illuminates the wreckage of polytheism back in this time. In a theatrical narrative, a new style of writing manifests against the poetry form used in his previous work. A political royal rumble offers the listeners a telepathic experience of a valiant communist figure such as Abu Dhar Al Ghafari (the inventor of Alsalamu Alyukum) and draws an alter ego of the artist. This creates a spiritual guide which evocates several unfamiliar sounds and immersing styles of traditional desert singing in its finest contemporary form.
The album was created in HVAD’s studio in Copenhagen during Miniways stay there in 2020. Sharing a vision in seeking towards something ancient, Miniawy’s texts and vocal compositions are supported by HVAD’s instrumental compositions and production on “Notice a Tiny Scratch for the Blue Behind”, providing a sense of liberation from present time that the body doesn’t otherwise have access to. Yet the songs never enter a state of nostalgia, but remain rooted in transmission of new practices by the two collaborating artists. Parts of the music have been made by recording improvisations on classical Indian instruments and cutting these into lacquer discs, allowing for the material to be worked with as degrading locked grooves and making for a signature compositional method aligning with HVAD’s work as a vinyl master cutting engineer.
credits
released February 10, 2022
Composed by Abdullah Miniawy and HVAD
Lyrics and Texts by Abdullah Miniawy
Instrumental production by HVAD
Trumpet and Voice by Abdullah Miniawy
Electronics, Tabla, Violin, Metal, Locked Grooves by HVAD
Mix, mastering and lacquer cutting by HVAD
Cover photo by Ahmed Qabel
Press photos by Mathias Thomsen
Thank you Click Festival for support for the production
supported by 13 fans who also own “Notice a Tiny Scratch for the Blue Behind”
When a French folk singer and music player, meets a German DJ, the result can be a total disaster or a grate album. Here we fall in the second case: this album (written during the strikes that happened in France in 2019, from where the title is taking inspiration), is a perfect mix of folk/classical instruments played on an electronic base providing an unexpected and great result. In my opinion one of the best and more original album produced in 2021. losfastidios
Modular synths sparkle amidst piano, vibes, and other organic instruments stringing together constellations of sound. Bandcamp New & Notable Sep 22, 2023
supported by 11 fans who also own “Notice a Tiny Scratch for the Blue Behind”
sizeable collection of material from an incredibly prolific producer with an excellent and unique take on the deco club style. don't sleep on it! Watching Nebula