Scenenoise Podcast

This week on our Select series, we have Cairo’s indie rock rouser Dirty Backseat, the electronic solo project of producer and singer-songwriter Moe Hani, with an exclusive mix of a string of unreleased productions that he recorded back in 2024. Dirty Backseat is best known for his nuanced melancholy-tinted sound that serves as a distillation of Moe’s influences of post-punk, psych-rock, synth-pop and electronica. His select set is as dreamy as it’s danceable, featuring thick basslines, gritty rhythms and heart-pumping tunes with some of Egypt’s veterans the likes of 200 Shams and Omar Zahran.

On the 305th episode of SceneNoise’s Select series, we present Brooklyn-based Alexandria-born selector Solofan, a resident and the host of El Commodino show on Radio Flouka. Having spent years immersed in the underground scene in Berlin and Brooklyn, Solfan developed his own signature sound where he experiments with free-form mixes that unravel like symphonies. His Select set is a high-energy mixture of early EBM, acid house, IDM and hardcore, featuring Tarab influences, African polyrhythms, and deep club cuts, intermingled with tunes by the likes of Trinity Magas and Assassins of Youth.

This week on Select, we have a special set from Egyptian-Bosnian vinyl maven Taty, whose distinct crate-digging approach and hypnotic sets cemented him in Berlin’s underground electronic dance scene. Taty turned up with a vinyl-only set of deep and ambient techno, featuring textured obscure sound, echo-laden hypnotic beats watered down by reverb effects, and atmospheric soundscapes. Recorded on his home setup using technics turntables and an Xone 42 mixer, the set evokes a certain vibe of trance that’s certainly meditative.

In Select 303, we have Cairo-based selector and producer P.O.V with a futuristic bass-heavy electro set, exploring the interplay between sound, space and time with a fresh approach to music synthesis. The set opens with an ethereal drone noise that seems to drift aimlessly through space, which then dissolves into pulse-pounding bass-driven beats with subtle frequency modulations and granular textures, embodying the chaos and order of the universe. The set features bumping tunes by a slew of international producers the likes of Deemphasis, Koova, Logitech and more.

This week on Select, we have France-based Moroccan DJ, producer and Radio Flouka resident Leïla Koumiya with a stormy left-field bass set, mixing syncopated Amazigh rhythms and elements of dnb with chopped rap samples from the likes of Julmud and Caïn و Muchi. Koumiya has cemented herself in the regional underground scene with her hybrid and versatile sets, exploring the nuances of her North African roots through a poetic blend of traditional sounds, polyrhythms, rap influences and percussive bass music.

This week’s Select comes courtesy of Omar Taa’i, aka Taai, a Cairo-based music producer behind Abyusif and Marwan Pablo’s collaborative track ‘SMACK THAT’. His prolific discography features tracks with regional hip-hop artists the likes of R3, Alvin, BEGAD, and Xander Ghost. For our Select 301, Taai cooked us a mix of hard-hitting trap beats and instrumental tracks, featuring some of his favourite Egyptian hip-hop tunes.

This week on Select, we have a special set from Dublin-based Saudi-born maestro Moving Still marking THREE HUNDRED episodes of our exclusive mix series

Joining us this week on Select is UAE-based Lebanese-born selector and producer Tarek B with a dynamic house set, mixing micro and minimal elements with relentless groovy basslines and the occasional electro break. The set features a slew of eclectic tunes by global producers and artists such as tINI’s ‘So High’, Last Pines’ ‘Go Ahead’ and DJ Gear Hoover’s ‘Studio Gear’. Having been manning decks since 2017, Tarek’s sets have traversed dancefloors at some of the region’s top clubs and festivals, from Dubai and Beirut to Istanbul, Amman, Riyadh and more, spinning at the likes of B018, Snoopy Beats and Boogie Box. He’s also played Boiler Room Abu Dhabi and Ibiza’s Blue Marlin club.

This week on Select, we have a special set from Ramy Tsuruta, a Japanese-Lebanese selector, producer, and founder of party collective and record label deependofthepool. Raised experimenting with the analog machines of his father, Tsuruta established a dynamic and unpredictable style, influenced by the sound of cities like Beirut, Budapest, Tokyo and Berlin. His select set starts off with a toned-down house beat shimmering amidst atmospheric sounds that feel quite earthly and meditative. It then smoothly transitions into a wholly unique mix of analog sounds, encompassing 80s/90s electro, techno, house and new beat.

This week on Select we have S!Na, a NYC-based German-born Syrian/Sudanese selector with a weighty drum-heavy bass dub mix, inspired by the spirit of the New York underground scene. Rooted in a deep meditative groove, the set explores the different ranges of bass, featuring hypnotic rhythms and a dub edit of Anunaku & DJ Plead’s ‘Clap Clap’, as a personal nod to her Syrian roots.

In this episode of Select, we have Amman-based Palestinian DJ, producer and rapper Shalaby with a special rave-coded mix of UK bass, techno and grime. The set features hard-hitting rhythms, complex drum patterns, fresh sharp transitions and a fine selection of hip-hop tracks from his favourite producers and rappers in the MENA region, the likes of Shabash, DJ Gawad and Ziad Zaza.

For our 295th Select , we have a special showcase set from Cairo Jazz Club 610’s Disco-Tech, a party series dedicated to revitalizing the intersection between tech-house and disco. Skillfully curated and mixed by Disco-Tech’s budding residents Moenes (who’s also the series’ co-founder), Jess, Mazen A, and Muze, the set will take you on a groovy glide with razor-sharp transitions, packed with heavy, funky beats and the warm soulfulness of 90s disco tunes, akin to the uplifting vibes of Disco-Tech parties.

This week’s Select comes courtesy of Cairo-based artist Hashem. As one of the few rock selectors in the underground scene, Hashem has carved a niche for himself with his dynamic sets, merging various sounds from rock and disco to synths and electro. When he is not behind the decks, Hashem is a singer-songwriter recognised for his smooth alternative synth-pop releases like ‘Other Clone’, ‘Kolena Benmel Fe Youm’ and ‘Bases, Mesh Shayel’. His Select set showcases a fresh, intriguing style that’s distinctly his own, meshing threads of different genres into one cohesive sonic spectrum that’s intense, powerful and thoroughly enjoyable. The set is a mixture of bass, left-field sounds and electro, featuring 80s sonic aesthetics combined with fast-paced beats, prominent bass drums, and heavy basslines along with a few trap samples. An infectious growling bass emerges in the first quarter of the set, followed by a selection of eclectic tunes like Julmud’s ‘Kalma’’, ‘Zein’ by Hassan Abou Allam, and 200 Shams’ ‘Atmana A

On this week’s Select, we have Saudi selector Haffs, one of the most promising talents who has been dominating the Kingdom’s dance music scene over the past few years. She has played at major festivals and venues in Saudi the likes of SoundStorm, XP Music Futures and Beast House. Inspired by the unsullied human-earth connection and the serene tranquillity found in the historical oasis of AlUla, Haffs’ select set is a harmonious synergy of deep, melodic house and organic oriental rhythms. The set features a melodic intro of dreamy piano notes, transitioning into atmospheric and tribal sounds interspersed with soft vocals of that ebb and flow, resembling the natural reverb of the desert’s mountains. The set features tunes by a slew of international producers such as Storm, Heart Pieces, Qallin and Dreamland.

This week’s Select comes courtesy of Cairo-based selector Mahmoud Okasha (AKA Zeft Funk), who has been helping Egypt’s top dancefloors groove over the last four years with his distinct blend of italo disco, acid house, textured bass-heavy sounds and eclectic tunes pulled from his own secret collection. For his Select set, Zeft Funk delivers an hour-long mix of fancy funk tunes and pulse-bounding acid, disco and groovy house. The set kicks off with spoken words of the classic intro of radio broadcasting in Cairo, which then wafts through a fire mix of Lineat’s ‘InsBLaue’. The set is a treasure trove of irresistibly danceable grooves, featuring some of Zeft Funk’s favourite tunes like ‘Bigboy Exercises’ by Schwarzfahrer, ‘Self Loathing Rulz’ by Shout Out Out Out, and more.

For Select 285, we have veteran techno DJ and producer Anthon, a prominent figure in the Lebanese underground music scene, recognized for mastering the craft of dark edgy big room sounds, as well as his ominous twisted techno productions, which are infused with shadows drawn from his own life experiences. Anthon is the founder of one of Beirut’s burgeoning party series, Deep Department, which has been running since 2015. He has done his rounds at some of Lebanon’s most famous clubs and venues, from The Grand Factory and The Garten to AHM, Harbor, Ballroom Blitz and B018. He has also showcased at prestigious clubs across the globe, including Berlin’s Suicide Circus, Montpellier’s PZ Club, as well as Klub Der Republik with the Cluck Im Ohr crew. He has shared the decks with a roster of globally acclaimed artists like Sam Paganini, Boris Brejcha, Dubfire, Stephan Bodzin, Marco Bailey, Reinier Zonneveld, and Victor Ruiz, just to name a few. His extensive discography boasts several EPs, released on famed labels

For this week’s Select, we have Berlin-based underground DJ/producer duo Marko & Bene, aka Longhair. Arguably one of the leading figures in the electronic dance scene, they’re known for their devilishly pumping and harmoniously uplifting sets that dabble in versatile shades of hazy house, with influences that range from disco and balearic to trance and electro. Earlier this year, the duo released ‘Surf & Turf’ EP on the famed London-based label OPIA Records, a deep and progressive house fusion of futuristic funk and dreamy rave nostalgia across four cuts. For their select set, Longhair came in with a pulse-pounding house set, featuring psychedelic layers, acid-licks and rousing synth-heavy grooves with hip-thrusting kicks, combined with a subtle pinch of trance-like repetitive rhythms. The set features tunes by famous international producers such as Eddie Richards, Nanami Togarashi and Hidden Spheres.

On today’s Select, we have SAUD, a veteran DJ hailing from Belgrade, Serbia, recognised for his multicoloured hypersonics, blending hardcore breakbeat patterns with contemporary gradients that gravitate towards a regenerated form of rhythmic psychedelia. He is also the co-founder of Belgradie-based famed rave platform SUTRA, which has brought a roster of acclaimed producers the likes of Gabber Modus Operandi, ZULI, Abadir, Aisha Devi, Mumdance, Batuu, Lee Gamble, Flore and more, to Serbia’s clubbing scene over the last 7 years. Besides running SUTRA, SAUD was featured on Boiler Room x Belgrade. He has also played in various clubs and venues across the globe, from NYC, Berlin, and France, to Austria, Belgium, Norway, Poland, and Beirut, just to name a few. In 2023, he also launched his own club in New Belgrade called Živa. For our 289th Select, SAUD shares the set he played at his club Živa’s season-opening party that took place earlier this year, featuring Kuwaiti producer Van Boom on the lineup. The set, a

This Saturday on Select, we have Badry, a Dubai-based Egyptian spinner who was raised between Cairo and Toronto, bringing a mix of minimal and deep house that leans more towards the groovy side of the spectrum with hints of acid licks. The set features eclectic tunes like ‘Where You To’ by Harrison BDP, ‘I Wanna Turn’ by Franck Roger, ‘Into the Clouds’ by Politics of Dancing and ‘Planet Express’ by James Andrew. Badry is also the co-founder of Dubai’s party series Duck Soup, curating various parties and events across the city. He has previously showcased at the Groove On The Grass festival in Dubai.

On this episode of Select, we have Taqtuqa, formerly known as Maxi 45. The France-based label run by Egyptian-bred selectors Joseph and Dafadee3o delivers a disco edit and deep club cuts of retro Middle Eastern music and Egyptian cassettes, including tracks by Amr Diab and Simone, featuring multi-layers of pulse-bounding kicks, tabla arrangements, vocal samples and throbbing basslines. Raised between Beirut and Alexandria, Joseph grew up listening to a lot of classical scores and French records. As an avid digger with a passion for vinyl, Joseph’s extensive record collection encompasses everything from classical and synth-pop to house, disco and punk. After relocating to France, he launched his own label, Taqtuqa with DJ Dafadee3o, which specializes in releasing remixes and edits of classic Middle Eastern music and Egyptian cassettes from the 60s up to the late 90s.