You’re in a techno festival, you took a pill, and 40 minutes later you start feeling the rush in your veins. Your pupils dilate and the visuals become more vivid, colours melting. The music intensifies and you sense every sound, every kick drum goes straight to your stomach and makes you move involuntarily. The music is fire and everyone is rising to ecstasy. The drop is about to come aaaaaand… “Allaaaaahu akbar... Allaaaahu akbar."
That’s exactly what the world’s most renowned electronic music DJ, Solomun, did at Italy’s Futur Festival. In the middle of his set, the Croatian DJ played a remix of the adhan, or Islamic call to prayer, which obviously cued a wave of controversy among his Muslim (and even slightly PC) fans. This reminds us of Dax J’s incident when he also played a remix of the call to prayer, not long before the club he played in was shut down and he and his family started receiving death threats over social media.
This isn't a new blunder, which makes it even more stupid. While some think Solomun’s move was offensive because religion is something sacred that shouldn’t be mixed with bacchanalian festivities, others have the opinion that other practices in sects of Islam use chants and music in praise, and thus the incorporation of the adhan into a techno track doesn't pose as much of a problem. Either way, you have to be pretty callous or live under a stone these days to make a move like that. Just...don't...fucking...remix...the adhan. Peace.
Update: Solomun has now apologized for playing the track.
