VA - Nisf Madeena (2020)

Following months of social unrest and imminent financial collapse, preceded by years of corruption and incompetence on the part of the Lebanese state, the unimaginable happened. On a balmy August 4th afternoon, a series of explosions in a warehouse at the Port of Beirut left some of the most vibrant parts of the city entirely or partially destroyed. With more than 200 deaths and thousands of injuries, hundreds of thousands of people have lost their homes and livelihoods. Almost a month after the explosion, swaths of volunteers and activists are still roaming the streets to clean up the debris and shattered glass, and are working day and night to provide relief for those affected.

Ma3azef teamed up with New York-based mastering engineer Heba Kadry to curate a compilation of new and unreleased materials provided by regional and international musicians to raise funds for the continuous relief work being done on the ground to help those who have been failed by the state.

The 17-track compilation includes contributions by the likes of Fatima Al Qadiri, Nicolás Jaar, ZULI, Slikback, and others. Bringing sounds together from the different crevices of electronic music, it is a humble attempt to galvanize musicians and listeners into supporting a city that has been integral in shaping the region’s contemporary music scene.

All proceeds from the sales of the compilation are going to local initiatives to provide assistance to those affected, they will be divided between Fundraising Campaign for the Arts and Culture Community in Beirut organized by AFAC; Beirut Musicians' Fund organized by Tunefork Studios, and Beit el Baraka.