90s Arabic Pop Meets Alt-Rock on Pink Seasalt’s ‘Matgily Tany’

I first came across Mahmoud Hafez, aka Pink Seasalt, at Memphis Records’ first iteration of Tidal Dream Festival. Right there on the Nile side stage, he was belting out his debut record ‘Out of Luck’ with a quintessential guitar fingerpicking technique like a veritable rockstar, drawing Beatlemania-esque fangirl screams from the crowd.

Back then, he was exclusively singing in English, yet he managed to carve out a distinct sound for himself, borrowing influences from the likes of Mac DeMarco, Tame Impala, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and colouring them with his bedroom production and poignant songwriting that felt like something outside of the 70s psychedelic rock era.

Recently, Pink Seasalt has been exploring Arabic music more, both lyrically and sonically, through a string of frequent releases such as ‘Shreet Kharban’ and ‘3ala Toul’. He has recently released his third single in 2025, ‘Matgily Tany’, a refreshing summer tune that showcases his signature mellow fuzz in a whole new shape.

Drawing inspiration from 90s and 2000s Arabic pop and alternative rock, the singer-songwriter combines the distorted drum patterns of rock with funky basslines and shimmering synthwork of nostalgic pop. In the vocalisations, however, there are hints of R&B elements, akin to the work of Mk.gee and Dijon. As a whole, ‘Matgily Tany’ feels like the Arabic version of The Strokes but with a twist that’s inherently his own.