Whilst over the years a plethora of online music platforms have become the go-to place for rushed AUX DJ sets at house parties all over the Middle East, it turns out that Lebanon-born streaming app Anghami isn't just for Amr Diab classics and Marshmellow mash ups. On the contrary, the platform has an unrivaled catalog of dance music with every DJ and producer on your radar streaming through the app and they even have a whole host of niche segmented playlists from Latin House to Melodic Techno to Chilltronica that have become uber popular. This then got us thinking; what is the Arab world listening to to get their rave fix? What are we low-key head-nodding to at work? Who are we insisting will take the a3da up a notch? Who are we fistpumping to with the window open on a cruzaat?
Well we hit up Anghami to find answers to these burning questions and discover who and what we in the Middle East are listening to most when it comes to techno and electronica. First and foremost, it seems the region hasn't totally divulged into the harder side of Techno, with more melodic producers taking the top spots such as Jan Blomqvist and Workals, ahead of the likes of Charlotte de Witte and Amelie Lens. On the other hand, we are apparently totally into Aphex Twin - who figured?
It's also interesting to note that artists who are often booked to play in the Middle East, such as Deborah De Luca and Boris Brejcha, are also high up on listeners’ rankings, which goes to show the importance in live music and making an impression in today's digitally driven age. Take a gander at the lists below and let us know on social media if any of your favorites made the list.
Rankings are based on the amount of individual plays through Anghami.
TOP 20 TECHNO ARTISTS
1. ARTBAT
3. WORAKLS
4. JAN BLOMQVIST
5. BORIS BREJCHA
6. FADY FERRAYE
7. DEBORAH DE LUCA
8. RECONDITE
9. ENRICO SANGIULIANO
10. VICTOR RUIZ
11. MARK DEKODA
12. SAM PAGANINI
13. AMELIE LENS
14. CHARLOTTE DE WITTE
15. JORIS VOORN
16. RENIER ZONNEVELD
17. MIND AGAINST
18. FAKE MOOD
19. KEVIN DE VRIES
20. KOLSCH
TOP 20 TECHNO TRACKS
1. DENIS HORVAT FT. LELAH - NOISE
2. SAM PAGANINI - RAVE
3. TALE OF US - ERROR ERROR
4. KEVIN DE VRIES - ARATAK
5. OLIVER HUNTEMANN - SCHATTEN
6. ALEX STEIN - EL DORADO
7. HENRY SAIZ - SPHYNX
8. RAFAEL CERATO, LUNAR PLANE - TRESOR
9. WEHBBA - PROCESS
10/ NINA KRAVITZ - GHETTO KRAVITZ
11. JOEY BELTRAM - CAN YOU FEEL IT
12. WORAKLS - BY THE BROOK
14. FADY FERRAYE, EL TOPO - IGNITE
14. JON HOPKINS - SINGULARITY (ANNA REMIX)
15. NICOLE MOUDABER - ROAR
16. MOBY - POWER IS TAKEN
17. BOXIA - UNDER THE BRIDGE
18. ANNA - HIDDEN BEAUTIES
19. PAULA TEMPLE - RAGING EARTH
20. I_O - SYSTEM ERROR
TOP 20 ELECTRONICA ARTISTS
1. MASSIVE ATTACK
2. APPARAT
3. APHEX TWIN
4. THE CINEMATIC ORCHESTRA
5. HOOVERPHONIC
6. EMIKA
7. MOME
8. NICOLAS JAAR
9. PORTISHEAD
10. THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS
11. YKSOPP
12. METRONOMY
13. PARRA FOR CUVA
14. THIEVERY CORPORATION
15. JON HOPKINS
16. SHKOON
17. CHROMATICS
18. NETSKY
19. BRIAN ENO
20. THE PRODIGY
TOP 20 ELECTRONICA TRACKS
1. APPARAT - GOODBYE
2. M83 - WAIT
3. SHKOON FT. ELFAR3I - RIMA
4. DAFT PUNK FT. JULIAN CASABLANCA - INSTANT CRUSH
5. KONOBA FT. R.O - ON OUR KNEES
6. MARIAN HILL - DOWN
7. APHEX TWIN - AVRIL 14TH
8. MASSIVE ATTACK FT. HOPE SANDOVAL - THE SPOILS
9. JAMES BLAKE - RETROGRADE
10. MOBY - PORCELAIN
11. KRUDER & DORFMEISTER - ROLLIN ON CHROME
12. FLUME FT. TORO Y MOI - THE DIFFERENCE
13. THE BUTCHER'S BRIDE - LIPSYNC
14. PORTISHEAD - GLORY BOX
15. TRENTMOLLER - BLUE SEPTEMBER
16. TALE OF US - RICORDI
17. HELLO PSYCHALEPPO - TARAB DUB
18. RHYE - OPEN
19. JON HOPKINS - SMALL MEMORY
20 NICOLAS JAAR - SPACE IS ONLY NOISE IF YOU CAN SEE
Check out more music on Anghami.