Electric Jalaba El Hal / The Feeling [CD]

Format: CD
Catalogue No.: STRUT226CD
Barcode: 4062548009385
Release Date: 19th March 2021
Genre: Electronic, Funk

TRACKLISTING:
CD
1. Tora Tora
2. Cubaili Ba
3. Agia Hausa
4. Daimla
5. Fulan
6. Shabakru
7. Briando
8. Tugra
9. Hindewu
10. Lagmami

LP FORMAT DETAILS: (eg. heavyweight vinyl, gatefold sleeve, colour, download card etc)

Electric Jalaba comprises six accomplished musicians with an empathy that feels telepathic and a groove that immerses. In Arabic, the mother tongue of Moroccan-born singer and guimbri player Simo Lagnawi, a leading practitioner of Gnawa music in Britain, they call this indefinable quality, “El Hal” – “The feeling”.

“It’s the feeling that comes when we’re playing and totally forgetting where we are,” says producer and bassist Olly Keen. “The feeling of being grabbed by the music and lost in the groove.” ‘El Hal / The Feeling’ is the new third album from Electric Jalaba and their first release in five years. It’s a multi-faceted work that finds the band tighter than ever, deploying a vast cache of influences across nine tracks improvised and developed in their south London studio then deftly produced by Keen. Some tracks pay homage to the origins of Gnawa music, whose repertoire of Arabic-language praise songs contains remnants of West African dialects – Bambara from Mali, Fulani and Hausa from the Sahel region – that point to a centuries-old migration.

“The trance-inducing effect of Gnawa was what hit us first. It was visceral, heart stopping,” continues Olly, whose siblings – producer / keys player Henry Keen, guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Nathaniel Keen and singer / multi-instrumentalist Barnaby Keen – make up Electric Jalaba alongside revered Anglo-Italian kit drummer Dave De Rose and Simo on vocals, krakeb and guimbri. “Simo selected the chant from the traditional song suites and, as a band, we extended
these short pieces of ceremonial music and experimented with sound and structure,” explains Olly. Tracks include the Juno-led dancefloor single ‘Cubaili Ba’, ‘Agia Hausa’, a multi-layered wig-out that partly takes its inspiration from Senegal’s fiercely percussive mbalax rhythms and ‘Daimla’, a gloriously dubby ode to Allah and iconic maalems including the late Mahmoud Guinea. “There’s a very strong rhythmic element within the band but because of our different perspectives but the melodic components are really unique as well,” says Henry. That feeling of being outside of yourself but totally within yourself at the same time… That’s what all of us, collectively, are striving for.”

Third album from Electric Jalaba, fusing gnawa with electronics
Produced by Olly Keen and Henry Keen aka Sound Species
Features the singles ‘Cubaili Ba’, ‘Daimla’ and ‘Fulan’
Artwork by Raimund Wong

PRESS/ONLINE: “Their most impressive work to date. A wonderfully visceral record.” Future Music

“Frenetic Anglo-Moroccan sextet infuse gnawa trance rituals with Comet Is Coming-style synth-jazz prophecies. Good attitude!” Uncut

“Une fusion hypnotique qui puise autant dans le mystère de traditions rituelles nord-africaines que dans des arrangements dignes des meilleurs dancefloors contemporains.” FIP

Vinyl Factory - https://thevinylfactory.com/news/electric-jalaba-new-album-el-hal-the-feeling-vinyl/

PAM - https://pan-african-music.com/en/electric-jalaba-el-hal-the-feeling/

SONGLINES - album review, March 2021 issue

UNCUT - album featured in Uncut Playlist selection, February issue

RECORD COLLECTOR - album review via Kris Needs, March issue

VINYL FACTORY - album announcement and ‘Fulan’ stream 26.01.21
https://thevinylfactory.com/news/electric-jalaba-new-album-el-hal-the-feeling-vinyl/

FUTURE MUSIC - full album review ran, February issue 8/10

RHYTHM PASSPORT - ‘Cubaili Ba’ featured as Daily Discovery. 11.20
http://www.rhythmpassport.com/discover/daily-discoveries/daily-discovery-electric-jalaba-cubaili-ba/
RHYTHM PASSPORT - ‘Cubali Ba’ featured on monthly free streaming compilation, 11.20
http://www.rhythmpassport.com/monthly-compilation/rhythm-passport-free-compilation-vol-54-november-2020/?5d89gdfgd8&utm_source=Rhythm+Passport+Newsletter&utm_campaign=99c0f7237c-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_04_20_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3423f443da-99c0f7237c-143254525&mc_cid=99c0f7237c&mc_eid=4000d8bcd2


CAST THE DICE - single coverage ‘Cubaili Ba’ 11.20
http://castthedice.org/

Spotify:
Afro + Club by PAM - Cubaili Ba (Max Graef Remix) added 13/11
Beatport Best New Disco - Cubaili Ba added 04/11
Global Funk - ‘Daimla’ added 11/12
Global Groove (390K followers) - ‘Fulan’ added 22.01.21

Apple Music:
Worldwide Grooves Playlist - Cubaili Ba added 18/11
New Music Daily - ‘Daimla’ added 11/12
Hot Tracks (UK, USA, Japan, Korea, Aus / NZ): ‘Fulan’ added 25.01.21

Deezer:
Songs of the Week by PAM - Cubaili Ba added 14/11

Tidal:
I consigli dello staff - no. 17, added 11/12

RADIO: BBC RADIO 3: MUSIC PLANET - opened show with ‘Fulan’ 06.11.21
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000s1gp

BBC 6MUSIC: TOM RAVENSCROFT - plays from January 2021
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000sbd6 Played ‘Cubaili Ba’

BBC 6MUSIC: GIDEON COE - played ‘Cubaili Ba’ 02.11.20
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000p2d6

JAZZ FM: SARAH WARD - JAZZ TRAVELS. Plays December onwards

WORLDWIDE FM: PAPAOUL – played ‘Cubaili Ba’ 31.10.20
https://worldwidefm.net/show/papaoul/

RESONANCE FM: DJ RITU - A WORLD IN LONDON UNLOCKED - played ‘Cubaili Ba’ 03.11.20 and ‘Fulan’ 03.02.21
https://www.mixcloud.com/djritu/a-world-in-london-unlocked-28-nov-4th-2020/
https://www.mixcloud.com/djritu/a-world-in-london-unlocked-feb-3rd-2021/

RESONANCE FM: OUTERGLOBE: track plays December - March

TOTALLY RADIO, BRIGHTON: AFROBASE: track plays Feb - March. Played ‘Daimla’ and ‘Cubaili Ba’
https://www.totallyradio.com/shows/afrobase/episodes/afrobase-18-feb-2021

TOTALLY WIRED RADIO: MARCUS AGERMAN ROSS - played ‘Cubaili Ba’ 23.11.20 and ‘Fulan’ 25.01.21
https://www.mixcloud.com/totallywiredradio/231120-planet-yes-marcus-agerman-ross
https://www.mixcloud.com/totallywiredradio/250121-planet-yes-marcus-agerman-ross/

PHONIC FM: GERRY LYSEIGHT - played ‘Daimla’ 10.01.21
https://www.mixcloud.com/Mambista/gerry-lyseight-phonic-fm-10121-tracklisting/

MIXCLOUD: MADERA VERDE - THE GLOBAL GLITCH: played ‘Cubaili Ba’
https://www.mixcloud.com/MaderaVerde/the-global-glitch-november-2020/

FROOTS PODCAST - IAN ANDERSON: playing tracks from November. Played ‘Cubaili Ba’ 29.11.20
https://www.mixcloud.com/frootsradio/podwireless-220-december-2020/

OTW RADIO: ON THE WIRE. Played ‘Cubaili Ba’ 1120 and ‘Fulan’ 0221

https://www.mixcloud.com/otwradio/on-the-wire-14th-november-2020/
https://www.mixcloud.com/otwradio/on-the-wire-13th-february-2021/

DUBLIN CITY FM: NIGEL WOOD. Album track plays Jan - March

OTHER ACTIVITY: https://twitter.com/StrutRecords