“Smugglers Way signs Moroccan artist Guedra Guedra”
Smugglers Way has recently welcomed Moroccan producer Abdellah M. Hassak, the mastermind behind the electronic music project Guedra Guedra, to their label. Renowned for his eclectic blend of forward-thinking electronics and a mix of musical influences from Africa, Guedra Guedra’s sounds captivate listeners with their unique fusion. Partnering with Domino’s imprint Smugglers Way, Guedra Guedra’s second album, “MUTANT,” will grace our ears on August 29th, featuring mixes by Marta Salogni and mastering by Heba Kadry.
Abdellah’s creation of “MUTANT” was a labor of love, combining the essence of analogue synths and drum machines with field recordings captured during his traverses through Morocco, Tanzania, Guinea, and other African nations. The album delves into themes of identity, Pan-Africanism, Afrofuturism, and decolonization, melding the rich musical legacy of the continent with techno, bass music, and dub elements. Abdellah expressed his desire for a cultural soundscape that pushes the boundaries of traditional African and diasporic music, infused with rhythm and bass vibrations.
Guedra Guedra’s music mirrors his vision of cultural and technological decolonization, which celebrates Pan-Africanism while questioning the limitations of mainstream production tools in capturing non-Western musical expressions authentically. Abdellah emphasizes the profound significance of rhythm in African traditions, viewing it not merely as music but as a profound encapsulation of life’s essence, societal complexity, oral history, and spirituality – a map of existence passed down through generations as an act of resistance to dominant narratives seeking to oversimplify or marginalize it.
In addition to his musical endeavors, Guedra Guedra honors his Moroccan heritage by donning an elaborate face mask designed by artist Meryem Aboulouafa. Inspired by the veils worn by the Zayan people from Morocco’s Middle Atlas mountains during their ritualistic performances, the mask symbolizes a shared state of trance achieved through poetry recitations, circle singing, and bendir drumming.
Listeners can now immerse themselves in the hypnotic sounds of Guedra Guedra’s first single from “MUTANT,” titled “Drift of Drummer,” along with its mesmerizing music video shot in Marrakech. Rooted in the musical traditions of Guinea’s Kouroussa town, the track showcases the djembé drum’s prominent role in West African music, reflecting the rhythmic heartbeat of life, from the mundane to the elemental forces shaping existence.
Abdellah’s musical journey began long before Guedra Guedra, originating from his formative years in Casablanca, Morocco, where he honed his skills as a bassist and drummer across diverse musical genres. Intrigued by electronic and dub music, he drew inspiration from pioneering artists who melded Moroccan traditional tunes with machine-generated sounds. With his past projects like Dubosmium and a penchant for sound artistry using field recordings from his extensive travels across Africa, Abdellah laid the foundation for Guedra Guedra’s immersive electronic soundscapes.
Through his music, Guedra Guedra aims to preserve African musical traditions by seamlessly blending field recordings with cutting-edge electronic beats, rather than attempting to recreate these ancient sounds in a modern studio setting. His past releases, “Son of Sun EP” and debut album “Vexillology,” were well-received for their innovative mix of bass-heavy rhythms, sampled voices, and environmental sounds sourced from nature. With “MUTANT,” Guedra Guedra continues to explore Pan-African polyrhythms on the dancefloor, using his music as a form of resistance and decolonization, challenging societal power structures and amplifying marginalized voices.