Wings Over Wires

Wings Over Wires, a compilation album by 14 artists from the Arab world, releases today on Marseille-based label Gros Oeuvre. The compilation features tracks by each artist using the same sample as a starting point: A group of students in Gaza being led by Ahmed Muin, founder of the Gaza Birds Singing musical support group, harmonising to the sound of drones above.

After an initial video of Ahmed went viral on social media over the summer, a music producer named Hmenou took the opportunity to turn the haunting melody into a bigger project in support of the music school. The album will be released on 12th December on Marseille-based label Gros Oeuvre.

I saw the same video millions of people saw: Ahmed Muin Abu Amsha, a music teacher in Gaza, recognising the drone sound overhead as a B-flat and singing over it with his students.

It hit me hard, the melody they sang haunted me for days, I couldn't create anything else. I just kept playing it. So I remixed it into a UK dubstep track. But I was terrified of disrespecting what they'd created, so I contacted Ahmed. Our conversation was beautiful, he told me he was happy about it. So I decided to release the track independently and give all proceeds to his organization.

That's when Metttani (Tunisian producer, founder of Arabstazy and Shouka) reached out saying he'd had the same idea and it clicked: why not make this bigger? Why not invite artists across the SWANA region to come together and honour Ahmed's work.

- Hmenou

With the compilation, Hmenou hopes to generate meaningful support for the Gaza Birds Singing, and shine an even brighter light onto the difficult and important work Ahmed and his colleagues are doing. Simultaneously, the compilation highlights a huge depth of talent in the SWANA region, with many artists creating powerful and meaningful art.

Find the compilation and support Gaza Birds Singing on Bandcamp, or stay up to date by following Hmenou, who already has his next album in the works - a project which explores the intersection between North African traditional rhythms, Arab sonic archives, and contemporary bass music.