PEPPER MACPHERSON. 
INFO | | |















  • Cairo, Experimental Bass and the rise of new kind of party...

Commissioned by Keep Hush
Video Assets here

It’s hard to believe that a capital city of over 10 million people doesn’t have an underground music scene and that’s because it does, you’re just not familiar with it yet. As Cairo began to identify the need for pioneering new electronic sounds and facilitating the existence of a contemporary culture amongst young Egyptians - community-based, music orientated and alternative parties began to emerge and thrive in the city. 

Promoters like Jellyzone which offer a ‘DIY alternative to Cairo’s disillusioned club scene’ are among the pioneers providing a much needed alternative to the mainstream clubbing circuit on offer, which the Jellyzone founder described as ‘limited’, both sonically and conceptually. Essentially, the majority of clubs in Cairo suffer from a similar lack of ethos that leave most of us uninspired by the clubs in our own cities; venues which prioritise profit over people and are centered around status instead of music. 


Following the pandemic, alternative raving in Cairo gained popularity as a new generation discovered they’d hit a ceiling that didn’t have to exist and so an alliance was formed between those who created the foundations of the scene and the now fresh set of ears, with the energy to continue driving it forward. The increasing need for respite from commercially palatable records resulted in an influx of new producers and DJs who showcase the ways that heavy percussion and avant-guard bass has become the not so ambient backing track to Cairo’s underground right now. 


Record Label and collective MOSHTRQ focuses on the ‘deconstructed bass spectrum’ and is well worth a look into. Their release ‘MOSHTRQ VA01’ showcases a progressive, unreleased catalogue of tracks including Postdrone’s - ‘Yaa’ which is a refreshing take on dubstep and breaks, incorporating arabic vocal chops with warped baselines. Similarly Assyyoti’s ‘Applied Pressure’ picked up by DJ Mag and released from the same label is impassioned in exactly the ways jungle adjacent breakbeat was intended to be. This track also serves as a prime example of how harder sounds are shaping the landscape of Cairo and putting its contributors on international radars. For example Hassan Abou Alam’s Kiosk radio set and his Fasla EP are also great instances of dubstep embracing Egyptian influence and reaching wider audiences as a result.





Ultimately, the evolving sonic identity of Cairo’s underground is not one to be overlooked and as punters are becoming more curious to explore beyond the mainstream, the demand for accessibility, community and diversity within their nightlife is strengthening. Other parties in the city worth mentioning are Lazuli, a club night prioritising affordability and spanning the genres of house, techno and electro and  c0d3x, run by producer Jana, exploring experimental hip-hop and alternative beats.

So If you’re not planning a trip to Egypt's capital anytime soon, here are some more ways you can navigate the landscape from where you are now:


Al Origami- El Waili

Kesibt - Hassan Abou Alam

Spiritus de Mephistopheles - Assyouti

Ras El Ain (3Phaz remix) - Acid Arab, Rizan Said, 3Phaz

Exploit - 3Phaz

Azzouni - يس (YS) Riddim (feat. Dakn)

3AL Bayez - Jana

Black and White - MARTINA

Jellyzone Shella radio takeover


























































HOMEPHOTOGRAPHY VIDEOGRPHY DESIGNCONTENT REVIEWS