The aim of this dublab collective mix is to showcase the beauty and creativity of the Syrian, Iranian, Iraqi, Libyan, Somali, Sudanese and Yemeni cultures as a humanizing action in resistance to the Trump regime’s bigotry. We oppose the unjust travel ban and firmly believe in open minds, open borders and open hearts.

Song selections contributed by: Awesome Tapes from Africa, Cosmic D’Alessandro, Daniel T, Dave Muller, DJ Lady C, DJ Shhhhh, D. Tiberio, Eric Lumbleau (Mutant Sounds / Vas Deferens Organization), Eric Welles-Nystrom (Luaka Bop), Frosty, Gerd De Wilde, Jasmin Blasco, Jeff Weiss, Jesse Peterson (Zebulon), Larry G, Nanny Cantaloupe, Richard Thompson, Samy Ben Redjeb (Analog Africa), Sonny Abegaze and Tommy Denys.

Produced and Mixed by: Frosty
Artwork by: Mark of the Beast

Richard Thompson
Song Choices:
Googoosh – Respect (Iran)
Group Takhala La – Dokhtar-E Darya (Iran)
Shabah – I Need Somebody to Love (Iran)

The opportunity to express my opposition in this way couldn’t be more poignant.  One of the most special and unique aspects of the US is the melting pot of cultures that is brought from every part of the world to be shared within the communities immigrants find themselves in as their new home. Culture is not something that should be repressed or oppressed but celebrated as something unique that can be learned from. The beautiful thing about music regardless of understanding of the language is the mood and feeling that is conveyed that could be understood universally. Comprehension on a linguistic level is irrelevant in the spectrum of music, interpretation is open to each’s own as with any art form.

The tracks I’ve chosen reflect this and it’s an honor to contribute to this project to possibly open ears and minds to the treasures that can be found within all cultures, and it is an absolute travesty and indignity to exclude based off ignorance and contrived fear. These songs reflect themes that are universal, a rendition of a classic regarding ‘respect,’ which there is a clear and vast lack of within the new leader of the country, another (Dohktar e Darya) based on google translate “A Tear, A Dream” needs no further explanation, lastly maybe one of the most humanistic needs, a longing of love.

Song Choice: Al Basim – One Camel in Alaska (Iraq)

This is beautifully whirling, flute-laden prog jamming with a spirit akin to Kraut ethno-prog merchants Embryo and comes courtesy of Iraqi guitarist Al-Basim, who cut the rare LP “Revival” that this track’s culled from during a stint living in the U.S. during the late 70’s. The whole album is laden with the sorta upful airborne energy on display here.

Song Choice: Muhammed Jumhur & The R 4 R – Ya Nasyeh (Libya)

Its hard to understand why the economic interests of a ridiculously small minority are still the driving engine of our societies. How can some minds, spirits, hearts, souls – or drop here anything you belief in –  can be so highly corrupted to play down the life of millions of citizens, separating people in different categories depending where they come from or how much cash they have in their pocket. This categorizations are stupidly simplistic and are basically created to set physical and specially, imaginary borders between humans. Don’t matter why tell us or how loud they say it: these borders don’t exist.

The song i chosen was recorded in (Libya) and it was a (youtube) recommendation by Ahmed Al-Nawas. Ahmed was born in (Bagdad, Iraq) but while being a teenager he had to move with his parents to (Helsinki, Finland). That’s the place we met in 2012 and where we became friends. During my stay, apart from getting to know him i also had the chance to hang out with his sympathetic and amiable (Finnish) companion and their beautiful and charming daughter. Great times.

We now live more than 3,000 km from each other but that’s totally secondary when i think in the big impact he made on me, proving to be a caring and clear-eyed person. I repeat; borders don’t exist.

Song Choice: Kourosh Yaghmaei – Saghe (Iran)

I picked this because it’s a gorgeous psychedelic rock song from a legend of pre-revolution Iran — evidence that beneath the politics, societal constructs, and language differences, we all dream the same dreams, given the right circumstances.

Song Choice: Ensemble Moshtaq – Chant & setâr 4 (Iran)

This is traditional Iranian music. A group named ENSEMBLE MOSHTAQ formed in Paris by exiles. When listening for the first time, I felt enveloped in overwhelming light that I had never experienced at all. Border and religion are not related to beautiful music. I fully object to the policies of Donald Trump.

Song Choice: Ash Koosha titled – I Feel That (Iran)

Here is a track from Iranian born and raised artist Ash Koosha. He is based in London now but his citizenship is in Iran which prevents him from being able to tour in the U.S. This track is one of the most beautifully digital and emotional pieces I’ve heard in the past few years.

Song Choice: Damon Albarn feat. Eslam Jawaad, Malikah, Ceza & Bu Kolthoum – White Flag (Syria)

The Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music was a Syrian orchestra dedicated to the performance of Arabic music. They appeared on Gorillaz, Plastic Beach album.  Its members were dispersed due to the Syrian Civil War. Just last year there was a concert in the UK and Damon Albarn (Blur/Gorillaz) was able to get them to play alongside Albarn, Paul Weller and others. Here’s the version from the live show featuring the orchestra and Syrian rappers stepping in with lightning fast delivery.

p.s. about 3 months back i ordered a lyft for my DJ gig as i knew i would be having a few drinks. the driver who picked me up was somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-60..and he was playing Gorillaz. I was impressed and told him he had good taste in music. he seemed surprised that i picked up on it as he was playing “Ghost Train” (which was on G-side or D-side, I forget now. He then asked if i heard Plastic Beach, i told him yes, as it is my favorite from them. He went straight to White Flag and gushed about how his life long friend played lead flute with the orchestra. Talk about a small world, when a guy from LA and a guy from Syria, share a ride and bond over Gorillaz and the beauty of what we were listening to as we approached the LA skyline one autumn evening.

Song Choice: Abdullah Herki – Unknown (Kurdish)

Here’s a track I brought back from Iraq 2 years ago, I spent some time there as part of a documentary crew filming the Kurdish resistance, to Isis, Turkish government, capitalism, sexism and the destruction of our planet…I’m talking about PKK (rebels) and their aspirations to create “Rojava”, a heaven and haven in the current middle eastern madness, founded on enlightened and profoundly pondered principles. No farther the 10km from “the blackest ever black” (Isis) I spent time with the purest and morally most advanced people I’ve ever met, it seems that in this border region the extremes were touching each other, so much that I could barely grasp it without a religious or perhaps a Hollywood-ian mental framework.

Here’s a track from Abdullah Herki who’s Kurdish (yes the Kurds are living in 3 of the banned countries (Iraq, Iran, Syria) and they are, with 35 million people, the largest stateless people on this planet, actively and ferociously oppressed for many generations and to this very day (especially in Turkey nowadays).

Not ending on a happy note but I hope you can appreciate this contribution, good luck with the mix and…fight the powers that be!

Song Choice: Ahmed Fakroun – Ya Farhi’ Bik (Libya)

Beautiful song from Libyan singer Ahmed Fakroun. This is what the integration of cultures is all about. Ahmed Fakroun was born in Libya, moved to England, and was heavily influenced by French art rock, and music from the streets of London and New York. This song is a gorgeous example of the way the world needs to continue to function.

Song Choice: Dariush Dolat-Shahi – Zahab – Tar and Electronic (Iranian-American)

Dariush Dolat-shahi is an Iranian-American composer and instrumentalist on the tar, the traditional Persian lute. His compositions include electronic and instrumental music as well as music for traditional Persian instruments.

Dolat-Shahi studied classical Persian music at the Tehran Conservatory before leaving Iran for the Amsterdam Conservatory of Music and eventually earning a Ph.D from the legendary Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center where he studied under Mario Davidovsky, Vladimir Ussachevsky, Alice Shields amongst others. More info about him here.