First, get your mind out of the political gutter. It’s not xenophobia; it’s Zenobia: a reference to Septima Zenobia, the queen of Palmyra who ruled the Levant in 3rd century AD.
Electronic music duo Nasser Halahlih and Isam Elias chose the evocative name to helm their new project. Hailing from Haifa, the pair formed in 2018 but have already gone global, performing across the Middle East, Paris, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, South Korea, and Brazil (come to the United States sometime soon, mmmk?).
With an EP available *exclusively* below for streaming ahead of its April 12 drop, it’s easy to discern why Zenobia is at the center of the Palestinian club scene (and some might say, part of the “shamstep” sound). Wild opener “KSR KSR KSR” deploys those deliciously intoxicating dabke synth leads cranked up to their sweaty, unrelenting extreme. “La Fou - Up” shows that the duo can write a slower jam as well as a banger, while “Tawahan,” a dabke-dub mix, is a joyous closer.
Zenobia are working on an album currently, but for now, listen to their debut EP down below and pre-order it here:
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Zenobia EP tracklisting:
01. KSR KSR KSR
02. La Fou - Up
03. Tawahan
Zenobia upcoming live dates:
06.29.19 - DE OSNABRUCK MORGENLAND FESTIVAL
07.20.19 - CZ OSTRAVA COLOURS OF OSTRAVA