Sub Rosa/Northern Spy RecordsThe Egyptian musician teams up with an extraordinary Lebanese trio for a colourful tangle of sounds resembling a steampunk synth band
A pivotal figure on Cairo’s experimental
music scene, guitarist Maurice Louca is nonetheless more commonly seen performing outside
Egypt. Working with bands such as Lekhfa, Orchestra Omar, Alif, Bikya and the Dwarfs of East Agouza, his work encompasses exploratory electronica, psychedelic dub, avant jazz and Egyptian shaabi.
His latest album sees him teaming up with an extraordinary Lebanese outfit called the “A” Trio, who create an unholy racket with acoustic instruments. Mazen Kerbaj plays his trumpet through various tubes and hosepipes, moving kitchen paraphernalia around the bell of his instrument to create unearthly effects. Double bassist Raed Yassin and guitarist Sharif Sehnaoui strike and mute the strings of their instruments with detritus including pegs and paperclips. The trio’s creaks, howls and drones resemble a faulty electric power generator, or a steampunk synth band.