Pekodjinn - Dharba (2023)

‘Dharba’ is the debut solo album by Geneva-based Tunisian producer Pekodjinn. Politicized Maghrebi music meets underground club sounds, heavyweight trap, batida and dub. An arabo-futurist experience situated somewhere between Príncipe, Muslimgauze and Omar Souleyman. Founder of the multi-faceted, independent Ozadya collective, Pekodjinn has become one of the most influential rising producers within a thriving scene in Geneva. Consolidating aspects of his Tunisian heritage with rap culture and his activity as a graffiti artist, on ‘Dharba’ he delivers an innovative synthesis of darbukas-led percussion and traditional Tunisian chants with elements of modern urban music, club scene and dub. After dozens of self-released tracks posted on SoundCloud and several collaborative albums with both the Ozadya and Nüfrika collectives, Pekodjinn presents his long-awaited debut solo album ‘Dharba’, a definitive statement comprising eleven incisive tracks primed for packed dancefloors and thunderous soundsystems. Imagined as a diptych, the album begins with material drawn from the archives of the 2011 Tunisian revolution, including recordings of demonstrations and podcast excerpts; a conscientious aesthetic choice, considered as a way of processing events and moving on. With this foundation, Pekodjinn fashions an arabo-futurist conception which aims to imagine what the future of his country and the Maghreb will be, as well as the soundtrack of this new era. ‘Dharba’ makes a strong case to be the defining record.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Pekodjinn - Ch3eb (2:37)
1.02 - Pekodjinn - Chokri (2:00)
1.03 - Pekodjinn - Interlude (1:58)
1.04 - Pekodjinn - Tektheb (2:23)
1.05 - Pekodjinn - Khaf (2:45)
1.06 - Pekodjinn - Ahmar (3:03)
1.07 - Pekodjinn - Connexion (2:43)
1.08 - Pekodjinn - Mezoued (3:28)
1.09 - Pekodjinn - Zebi (3:09)
1.10 - Pekodjinn - Nji Fel Lil (3:23)
1.11 - Pekodjinn - Alarms (2:44)