Lebanon Electronic: Ziad Nawfal’s Set for the Ages

Over the past couple of decades, Lebanon has undoubtedly been at the forefront of the electronic music uprising in the Middle East. This is both from a nightlife perspective, with its wicked capital boasting some of the region's most- loved superclubs, and through the creative minds pushing forward cutting-edge sounds from their bedrooms, studios and beyond.

One man who has purveyed the evolution of electronic production in Lebanon, and dedicated a life to the soundscapes thumbing through the cracks in the wall, is Ziad Nawfal. This a man with a veritable rolodex of Lebanese producers tucked neatly inside his brainbox, alongside an outstanding knack for musical curation and a pure understanding of the intricacies of sonic experimentation.

A DJ, radio host and promoter, Nawfal has spent the better part of the last 25 years exposing Lebanon and the world to the special local and regional independent talent, on his long-running radio shows ‘Ruptures’ and ‘Décalages’, on Radio-Lebanon 96.2FM. 

In 2008, Nawfal co-founded independent music label Ruptured with Lebanese studio owner and engineer Fadi Tabbal, with the intent to promote and produce emerging alternative talent from Lebanon and the Middle Eastern region. Since its inception, the label has put together hundreds of live concerts and performances in a variety of venues. It also produces vinyl, CD and cassette releases by both Lebanese and international musicians. Since 2013, Nawfal has also taken on the role of managing director of Irtijal, the first and foremost festival for experimental music in Lebanon.

Nawfal has put together an exclusive set for us featuring almost two hours of solely Lebanese producers. It starts off with the scattershot sounds of outfits that became prominent in the early 2000's such as La Chambre and Joseph Ghosn before floating on to the likes of experimental composers Lilian Chlela and Tarek Atoui then driving forward with a collection of left-field selections from Lebanese producers from more recent years like Stress Distress, Elyse Tabet and Kujo before ending in the 2020's with Hadi Zeidan, Kid Fourteen, Rise 1969 and more. Open your ears to this crunching entirely Lebanese set for the ages, masterfully mixed by Ziad Nawfal.