MUTAMASSIK (meaning stronghold, tenacity in arabic) is a producer and dj specializing in Sa'aidi Hardcore & Baladi Breakbeats: Egyptian & Afro-oriental Roots mixed with the head-nod of hip-hop & the bass and syncopation of hardstep. RELENTLESS RHYTHMS FROM THE PAN-AFROARABIC IMMIGRANT SOUND SOURCES. (afro-oriental punk roots in a rich broth of hip hop; garnished with junglistic bass and syncopation: punk jaw electronic hip hop roots raggamuffin pan-african derivatives)
HAS PLAYED WITH: Arto Lindsay, Butch Morris, Burnt Sugar, Snorre Bjerck (Native Speakers), Wunmi, Vernon Reid, Joan Osborne, Ilhan Ershahin & Wax Poetic, Graham Haynes, Fathy Salama & Sharqiat, Trumystic Sound System, Qaballa Steppers, Telecorps, Pledge Drive, the Year Zero, Khaled Rico, Musicians of the Nile, Natacha Atlas, Elliott Sharp, Marc Ribot, Micah Gaugh, Melvin Gibbs, Pete Cosey, Bichir Mohamed (Master Musicians of Jajouka), Hamid Drake, Morgan Craft, Suphala, George Lewis...concerts in EUROPE-Bruxelles belgium- beursschowburg/ Friburg switzerland bellwork/belluard art festival/ Saarbrucken germany- 21ct drum & bass festival/ Paris france- radionova, cafe de la danse(les belles nuits du ramadan),divan du monde, cherie/ Bordeaux- sous-submarine/ Amiens- centre culturel/ Thonon- centre culturel/ Lille france- aeronef/ Bourges france- printemps des bourges/ Bologna italy- link, freeradio/ Istanbul turkey- fujifilm world music festival/ Stockholm sweden- womex, reorient/ Bergen norway- natjazz festival,cafe opera/ Gent belgium- vooruit/ Ljubljana slovenia- city of women U.S.A.--NYC--the tunnel/sound lab/st. bartholomew's church/diesel instore/the cooler/brooklyn academy of music/den of thieves/abstrakt/lincoln center/speed/carbon/mutiny/basement banghra/shine/ konkrete jungle/rumble sessions/walker stage/joe's pub/central park summer stage/mutiny/life/bowery ballroom/ knitting factory/nell's/s.o.b.'s/brooklyn anchorage/Tonic/FUN Pittsburgh, PA- zythos/ wrct radio--Atlanta, GA- black arts festival/ lioness rave--San Diego, CA- galoka/ oceanside b-boy competition--Richmond, VA-museum of fine arts AFRICA--CAIRO, EGYPT--club mohamed ali/ cairo jazz club/ cairo opera house/ bet el harrawi/ italian embassy--HARARE, ZIMBABWE--jenaguru festival MIDEAST--DUBAI, U.A.E.--virgin megastore/ bidoun at kasbar.
DISCOGRAPHY Mundo Civilizado/arto lindsay(warner bros.), 'Complicity m28' for arto lindsay(gutbounce/warner bros.), 'Melting Pot' remix for king chango(luaka bop/warner), Cultural Alchemy mix(soundlab recs), Wax Poetic (atlantic recs), Born Naked(o.h.m.), P3(trumystic recs), KMT BABOMB USA(mercury/poly), Instramental (suphala), 'Colapsus'(sound-ink recs), 'War Booty'-12"(soot recs), 'koushari''(belles nuits du ramadan) w/ fathy salama, transjoik remixes(warner bros/scandinavia), 'HIGH ALERT' 12"(sound-ink,7/03), 'ROUGH AMERICANA'(Circle of Light recs), 'Bidoun(Stateless)'-dj mix cd(mis, U.A.E.) & solo LP(TBA)...
PRESS Village Voice(cover 12.97)/ VIBE/ Le Monde/ the Wire/ URB/ African Sun Times/ XLR8R/ Option/ Honey Request/ Alternative Press/ Time Out(Dubai & NY)/ Rhythm/ U.S. News & World Report/ Newsweek(Arab. edition)...
“ Mutamassik's pounding Egyptian hip-hop breaks...are serious, sacred, steadfast marching music for the new international breakbeat generation.”
--Ron Nachmann, URB magazine
“ Dans un melange d'<ancien style>, d'electronique et de hip-hop, Mutamassik s'engage dans la reconstruction des <racines africaines du peuple americain>. Arabesques, melopees de minarets se croisent dans un magma de sons urbains, structures par d'impressionants alliages rhythmiques.”
--Veronique Mortaigne, Le Monde
“Mutamassik's influence throbs under layers of hip-hop, drum n bass and
music drawn from her "Afro-Asiatic roots". Said simply, Mutamassik can lay
the Egyptian hand drumming alongside the jeep beats.”
--Mike Elcesor, Pittsburgh Post Gazette
.tracks
