Published:
September 15, 2016
The Attic proudly presents the first show ever in Romania of The Dwarfs of East Agouza, a trio from Cairo, Egypt, featuring Maurice Louca (Alif, Bikya), Sam Shalabi (Land of Kush, Shalabi Effect) and Alan Bishop (Sun City Girls, The Invisible Hands, Alvarius B.).
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Born during 2012 when the three were living in the same apartment building in Cairo’s Agouza district, the trio’s instrumental improvisation-based explorations are propelled by Louca’s North African percussion loops and shimmering keys, Shalabi’s West African tinged free jazz guitar and grounded by Bishop’s driving Krautrock-style acoustic bass.
Following many a late night jam session, the band recorded hours of material during a three-day studio run in April 2014. After compiling and mixing the album in Montreal’s Break Glass studio in July 2015, the refined result will be released as a double-album titled Bes via Nawa Recordings (NAWA005) on 2xLP, 2xCD and DL on 29 April 2016. Review here.
Named after the Ancient Egyptian dwarf deity who was worshiped as the defender of all things good and enemy of all that is bad, Bes captures the trio on a hypnotic yet unpredictable journey. From the the lilt of four-minute ethiopian tinged Resinance to the 30-minute free-form epic Museum of Stranglers, the album skirts the outer limits of a psychedelic soundtrack to a North African road trip.