The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

If you restrict yourself to radio-play or club playlists, there’s no denying that electro can get a little samey. But as any puritan will tell you, there are plenty of artists taking advantage of the latest technology to create new and exciting sounds. Here’s a few to keep your eye on. 

Disclosure

This accessible deep house duo from the UK exploded onto the scene in June with their debut album Settle, which received a 9.1 from Pitchfork magazine. Mixing a tasty, dynamic bass with high-end synths and well-chosen vocal rhythms, they have quickly become a household name for ravers, although dogmatists insist that this album has taken them from deep house to pop-trance. Nonetheless, if you swing open the club doors and hear the heavy pulse of ‘Disclosure’ sweetly assaulting your ears, you can smile in the knowledge that tonight you’ll dance yourself dry.

Discography: Offline Dexterity (EP 2010), The Face (EP 2010), You & Me (EP 2013), Conrol (EP 2013),  Settle (2013)

Highlights: ‘What’s in your Head’; ‘Tenderly’; ‘Boiling feat. Sinead Harnett’.

Cairo 360 Tip: Flume’s rework of their song ‘You & Me’ is stunning, but listen with care; once you listen to it you won’t be able to revisit the original.

 

Mount Kimbie

More relaxed and experimental, this London-based duo is often described as post-dubstep, minimal or ambient. Whatever they are, their approach seems to be symphonic; although you can happily dance to Mount Kimbie, their focus is more on creating a beautiful piece rather than something to whip up a crowd. Abstract but sublime, they use extraordinary samples and rhythms to take you on an unusual journey. Be prepared for something different that may even seem downright weird at first, but know that your time spent listening will not be wasted.

Discography: Maybes (EP 2009), Blind Night Errand (2010), Remixes Part 1&2 (EP 2010), Carbonated (EP 2011), Made To Stray (EP 2013), Crooks & Lovers (2010), Cold Spring Fault Less Youth (2013).

Highlights: ‘Carbonated’; ‘Ode to Bear’; ‘Before I Move Off’; ‘Made to Stray’.

Cairo 360 Tip: Starting out as two DJs, Mount Kimbie have now expanded to include a drummer, bassist and singer.

 

Gramatik

An absolute staple for any wannabe king-of-the-dance, Slovenian DJ and music producer, Denis Jasarevic, has collected together a whole load of funk, hip-hop and electro and shaken them all together with an absolute disregard for music convention; the result is dance music infused with an irresistible groove. A prolific producer, for years he has been blending samples on his laptop from artists such as Ray Charles and Etta James with a bold and funky drum-kit and sometimes just a touch of jazz. Listen to him once, you’ll know him anywhere.

Discography: Street Bangerz Vol.1, 2 & 3 (2008, 2009, 2010), No Shortcuts (2010), Beatz and Pieces, Volume 1 (2011), Expedition 44 (2011), Digital Freedom (EP 2012)…. And more.

Highlights: ‘Hit That Jive’; ‘Don’t Get Weary’; ‘DreamBIG’; ‘Muy Tranquilo’.

Cairo 360 Tip: Gramatik believes in “freeing music by making music free”; download albums for free from the website of his label, Pretty Lights Music.

 

Jacques Greene

Little is known about this young producer from Montreal except that he loves r&b and plays a legendary show. His background in, and love for, pumping, but ambient, deep house shine through in his music, which he makes original with soulful ‘90s samples. His reinvention of everything from Kelly Roland to Radiohead in the past three years has rocked the house scene to its cairorevamp_users, as he works on his own or with others to produce beautiful track after beautiful track. Close your eyes and drift in ecstasy.

Discography: Greene 01 (EP 2011), Another Girl (EP 2011), The Look (EP 2011), Lay it Down (EP 2011), Concealer (EP 2012), Ready (EP 2012), On Your Side (EP 2013).

Highlights: ‘Another Girl’; ‘Lotus Flower (Radiohead Remix)’; ‘Motivation’; ‘Flatline’.

Cairo 360 Tip: Pay special attention to his collaborations with Koreless, ‘The Look’ and ‘Arrow’; both are unbelievable tunes.

 

Burial

The anonymous Burial has come to represent the darker side of electronic music. Containing elements of dubstep and 2-step garage, his ominous, brooding sound is also profoundly original; deep and menacing bass riffs underlie fluid percussion patterns which defy the rigidity of traditional drum and bass. Add to these the choppy but euphoric vocal samples, which Burial describes as “like a night-cry, an angel animal”, and you have an artist perfect for those very early hours when the clubs are closed but the party isn’t over.

Discography: Burial (2006), Untrue (2007), Street Halo/Kindred (EP 2012)

Highlights: ‘Archangel’, ‘Homeless’, ‘Prayer’. Go darker with ‘Untrue’.

Cairo 360 Tip: UK website The Daily Mash has recently speculated that JK Rowling is the artist behind Burial; the 47 year old Potter creator is yet to comment on the rumours.