Essam: Vinyl LP
Essam is the band’s fourth album, recorded with the same core lineup, but marks a significant shift in their sound and approach. Musically, it marks a departure from the rocky,bluesy, psychedelic Tuareg guitar-driven sound influenced by Tinariwen’s heritage—moving toward something more open, modern, and exploratory.
For the first time, their long-time sound engineer Maxime Kosinetz stepped in as producer. He travelled to Tamanrasset with Emile Papandreou (of the French duo UTO), a multi-instrumentalist who introduced electronic elements by sampling live instruments and reprocessing them in real time with a modular synthesizer—subtly reshaping the band's sonic identity.
The album was recorded mostly live, in one big room at Aboogi Studio—the band’s own rehearsal and recording space in Tamanrasset. The studio, a converted concert hall, has become a kind of cultural hub for the local youth. Friends dropped by during the sessions to contribute handclaps, vocals, and just be part of the energy. It’s a space where people gather, hang out, play dominoes, smoke chicha—a rare communal spot in a city that doesn’t offer many for young people, somewhat like a youth and community center.
This context—the creative shift, the live recording process, the atmosphere around Aboogi—might be interesting threads to explore in the conversation.
Essam is the band’s fourth album, recorded with the same core lineup, but marks a significant shift in their sound and approach. Musically, it marks a departure from the rocky,bluesy, psychedelic Tuareg guitar-driven sound influenced by Tinariwen’s heritage—moving toward something more open, modern, and exploratory.
For the first time, their long-time sound engineer Maxime Kosinetz stepped in as producer. He travelled to Tamanrasset with Emile Papandreou (of the French duo UTO), a multi-instrumentalist who introduced electronic elements by sampling live instruments and reprocessing them in real time with a modular synthesizer—subtly reshaping the band's sonic identity.
The album was recorded mostly live, in one big room at Aboogi Studio—the band’s own rehearsal and recording space in Tamanrasset. The studio, a converted concert hall, has become a kind of cultural hub for the local youth. Friends dropped by during the sessions to contribute handclaps, vocals, and just be part of the energy. It’s a space where people gather, hang out, play dominoes, smoke chicha—a rare communal spot in a city that doesn’t offer many for young people, somewhat like a youth and community center.
This context—the creative shift, the live recording process, the atmosphere around Aboogi—might be interesting threads to explore in the conversation.
Original: $50.91
-65%$50.91
$17.82Description
Essam is the band’s fourth album, recorded with the same core lineup, but marks a significant shift in their sound and approach. Musically, it marks a departure from the rocky,bluesy, psychedelic Tuareg guitar-driven sound influenced by Tinariwen’s heritage—moving toward something more open, modern, and exploratory.
For the first time, their long-time sound engineer Maxime Kosinetz stepped in as producer. He travelled to Tamanrasset with Emile Papandreou (of the French duo UTO), a multi-instrumentalist who introduced electronic elements by sampling live instruments and reprocessing them in real time with a modular synthesizer—subtly reshaping the band's sonic identity.
The album was recorded mostly live, in one big room at Aboogi Studio—the band’s own rehearsal and recording space in Tamanrasset. The studio, a converted concert hall, has become a kind of cultural hub for the local youth. Friends dropped by during the sessions to contribute handclaps, vocals, and just be part of the energy. It’s a space where people gather, hang out, play dominoes, smoke chicha—a rare communal spot in a city that doesn’t offer many for young people, somewhat like a youth and community center.
This context—the creative shift, the live recording process, the atmosphere around Aboogi—might be interesting threads to explore in the conversation.
