. Music from Saharan Cellphones: Volume 2 is finally on vinyl! The album draws from material from both of the first two cassettes - from hi-energy Moroccan Raï, desert ishumar guitar, Sonrai rap from Northern Mali, to yet to be named genres like "Tuareg Autotune". Production of the release was…
After two years, the tracks of popular West African tunes found on cellphones were released, remixed, and now successfully returned to their point of collection Kidal, Mali. (previously) As a rebellion seems to break out days prior to my depart, the 30 microSD memory cards are handed to a truck…
Mdou Moctar (pronounced "M"-"Doh") is from Abalak, Niger. A few years back, he traveled to Sokoto, Nigeria to record an album. A curious feature was addition of Autotune, something the studio engineer suggested. The resulting eight songs, all spaced out Autotuned Tamashek guitar (quite possibly the first time ever) were…
The official release of "Music from Saharan Cellphones" is now complete! The compilation showcases some of the popular music circulating around the desert: DIY Tuareg Autoune, Balani Show street music, and Ivorian Coupé Décalé. (previously) The LP is a selection of tracks from the first two cassettes. Available now on…
This little cassette of music ("Music from Saharan Cellphones") collected from cellphones has been in internet circulation lately (update -- and the Guardian UK). Pitchfork did a nice write-up on the phenomena of "musical scarcity", Rupture at Mudd Up! has given it some blog/radio play, and Portland's own Gulls put…
I've written briefly about cellular phones in West Africa. As ubiquitous media devices, they are perhaps most used in sharing and exchange of files, particularly bluetooth transfers of mp3s. While in Kidal I collected memory cards from cellphones and copied loads of mp3s -- ranging from Tamashek guitar, Algerian Rai,…