Lebanese producer and multi-instrumentalist Fadi Tabbal has long been a key figure in Beirut’s independent music scene. Since founding Tunefork Studios in 2006, he has collaborated with and recorded numerous artists, shaping the city’s alternative sound. His latest album, ‘I Recognize You From My Sketches’, takes a different approach, incorporating samples from his peers into his signature ambient and experimental style.
Tabbal’s solo work has often been introspective, layering electric guitar and synth drones in atmospheric compositions. However, this album introduces a broader sonic palette, weaving in elements of space, repetition and rhythm. Tracks like ‘(keep beating)’ and ‘Oh heart, are you burning’ feature pulsing electronic textures, while others, such as ‘When we swam together!’, take on a more serene, melodic quality. The album’s contrast between distortion and clarity reflects themes of identity and change, something Tabbal describes as a “breakup album between who we want to be and who we turned out to be.”
Notably, ‘I Recognize You From My Sketches’ brings in contributions from Beirut musicians including his Snakeskin partner Julia Sabra, Charbel Haber and Ghassan Sahhab, though their presence is subtly incorporated into the compositions. By integrating these sounds, Tabbal continues his long-standing conversation between self and community, exploring the ways in which personal and collective identities intersect through music.
