Nos Habet Caramel

El Kontessa’s Nos Habet Caramel is just as hallucinogenic, loud, and bright as the record’s artwork suggests. Emerging from Cairo’s vibrant clubbing and experimental scene, thanks to the irish label run by ZULI and Rama, and releasing her debut on Palestine’s Bilna’es, El Kontessa offers a wilder, more punkish approach to the bassy mahraganat deconstructions championed by the likes of ABADIR and 3Phaz. Here, experimentation seems to come before the dancefloor. Tracks change tempo at breakneck speed, and are peppered with bursts of laughter, incomprehensible vocal samples, moans and screeches, over a barrage of relentless percussion and sharp synths. It’s a dizzying ride.