It seems like every other day in Cairo we witness the birth of a new DJ or rapper, in a frequency higher than virtually every other genre in the country. Aside from a handful of active bands, instrumental-based music like rock and jazz become less and less common amongst the youth in Egypt, and so it’s always refreshing to see members of the newer generation 


Egypt/Barcelona-based composer/producer, Hassan El Gizery, recently took his first step into the world of recorded music, ending what seemed like a multiple year-long stream of jam sessions and short clips posted to his instagram. Drawing heavy inspiration from the band Darkside (Nico Jaar and Dave Harrington), Gizery channel’s the duo’s okey, bass-heavy take on blues-tinged dance music.



With the thump of kick drums and rumble of a bass guitar dialed up, Gizery’s production work on ‘Bandit and the Lawman’ really shines, revealing the product of many years of practice and a keen ear towards composition. The mixdown for the track is incredibly clean, with each element sitting comfortably in it’s own sonic place, and accentuated by mastering courtesy of Sherif Asfour (of Cairo-based indie/dream pop outfit, Alan-K.) 


Collaborator Pau Castro slides in on the vocals with a gritty twang and wild-west inspired lyrics that, on their own, do come across as somewhat anachronistic, but still fit in rather snugly amongst Gizery’s shimmering guitar licks and soaring saxophone solos. 


Bearing in mind that ‘Bandit and the Lawman’ is Gizery’s first production debut (and first collaboration with Pau Castro), the track shows an incredible amount of promise for the young producer, and we look forward to seeing Gizery continue to grow within Egypt’s instrumental underground.


Follow Hassan El Gizery on Instagram

Follow Pau Castro on Instagram