Beirut in the Belly of the Whale

 04_snap_atoui_beirut-belly-whale_bananamonkey.jpg
Beirut in the Belly of the Whale
Beirut in the Belly of the Whale

Jad Atoui’s sound piece is a composition rife with electromagnetic frequencies, hums, and other machine sounds which continue to envelop the city of Beirut and its sleepless residents.

share

Not All Things that Shine Are Beautiful

 17_snap_ouayda_not-all-things-shine-beautiful_bananamonkey.jpg
Not All Things that Shine Are Beautiful
Not All Things that Shine Are Beautiful

Filmmaker Nour Ouayda dwells on the details of the city of Beirut, Lebanon that she encounters on her walk toward the sea. Instead of looking upwards, her camera turns to the fast pace of her walking feet until she arrives at her destination.

share

Dissonant State

 05_snap_tabet_dissonant-state_bananamonkey.jpg
Dissonant State
Dissonant State

How can sound permeate an image? With her wandering lens, Caroline Tabet portrays the sounds of the city of Beirut still reeling from the compounding crises that have dulled it.

share
Sound: Jad Atoui

A Taste of Metal in My Mouth

 12_snap_sabbagh_taste-metal-mouth_bananamonkey.jpg
A Taste of Metal in My Mouth
A Taste of Metal in My Mouth

In a text that fleshes out past events from Rami Sabbagh’s life in Beirut, the filmmaker discusses the often perilous entanglement of politics, music, and sound.

share
Sound: Omar Itani

Soothing Apocalypse

 soothing_apocalypse_gisela_swaragati_ali-sayah.jpg
Soothing Apocalypse
Soothing Apocalypse

The Indonesian summer is very hot. It’s when our writer shelters at home listening to music, only to realize that the state between slumber and consciousness can not be as innocent as it used to be.

share
Design: Ali Sayah

Norient Playlist 08/22: Durham

stalker_august-playlist_maria-uthe.jpg
Norient Playlist 08/22: Durham
Norient Playlist 08/22: Durham

Listen to this playlist of artists from Durham and their current releases. This selection by Durham-based artist Debt Stalker is a collection of tracks that compliment both the physical terrain of the city and the ever-changing DIY electronic music scene in the region.

share
Design: Maria Uthe
Sound: Suzi Analogue, ZenSoFly

Under Clear Starry Nights

 martyn-pepperel_under-clear-starry-nights_ali-sayah.jpg
Under Clear Starry Nights
Under Clear Starry Nights

Listening to live music outside can be a life changing experience. For our author, it set nothing less than the pathway of his life.

share
Design: Ali Sayah

Norient Playlist 07/22: Montevideo

 popvio_july-playlist_maria-uthe.jpg
Norient Playlist 07/22: Montevideo
Norient Playlist 07/22: Montevideo

Listen to this playlist of artists from Montevideo and their current releases. With his selection of talented artists, Montevideo-based music producer and DJ Pobvio attempts to show the diversity of the Uruguay underground music scene.

share
Design: Maria Uthe
Sound: Ojosfinos

Norient Playlist 06/22: New York

Norient Playlist 06/22: New York
Norient Playlist 06/22: New York
Norient Playlist 06/22: New York

Listen to this playlist of artists from New York and their current releases. It’s a selection of things that NYC-born and based sound practitioner Geng PTP has been returning to, over and over again.

share
Design: Maria Uthe
Sound: Chynna

Origin Is Not a Shallow Part of Identity

 origin_is_not_a_shallow_part_of_identity_pyzik_ali-sayah-min.jpg
Origin Is Not a Shallow Part of Identity
Origin Is Not a Shallow Part of Identity

With the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, our Poland-based writer realized that much of her favorite experimental music that was considered Russian is actually from Ukraine. Did she unwittingly practice «musical imperialism»?

share
Design: Ali Sayah

Dard I Door

 sabbagh_dard-i-door_maria-uthe.jpg
Dard I Door
Dard I Door

A poetic encounter with the different family histories of poet Tanasgol Sabbah and bassist Reza Askari. Weaving together experience, memory, and narrative, this piece switches between languages, and allows uncertainty about what is said and what is imagined.

download snap
share
Design: Maria Uthe
Photo: Reza Askari