In around 13 years, the Lebanese composer Charif Megarbane has been one of the most prolific musicians in the business. He’s produced more than 100 projects—featuring varying levels of psychedelic funk and guitar riffs—under a whole range of different names, from Cosmic Analog Ensemble to Heroes & Villains to the Free Association Syndicate. This week he launched his latest offering, a rangy record with Habibi Funk called Marzipan. You should listen to it.
The joy of listening to Megarbane has always been the sheer range of music that he draws from. You never really know what you’re going to get, and anything is fair game (from Jazz to funk, psychedelic, rap, the Indian sitar). He pulls all of that and more together for a 17-track album of what he likes to call, ‘Lebrary’ (“a vision of Lebanon and Mediterranean expressed through the kaleidoscopic sonics of library music”).
Stick this album on and we guarantee you’re transported to Lebanon in a heartbeat. From lively cafe culture to the chaotic roads of Beirut, the album invokes the spirit of the place, while the sonic variety—breakbeat drops to orchestral joy, bossa nova grooves to guitar riffs and mean horn sections—is something that few artists could really have achieved in such style. Feeling polished but still in that underground feel we’re used to getting from Megarbane.
The reissue record label founded by Jannis Stürtz, Habibi Funk has long since been a champion of Arab funk, so it feels kinda strange that these guys haven’t previously hooked up to create something cosmic. But well, we’re here now and that’s all that matters, right? Make this the soundtrack to your weekend. Have a lazy one on us.