Radiohead and the Smile guitarist Jonny Greenwood has announced a new collaborative album with Israeli rock musician Dudu Tassa, from which the duo have shared the single "Ashufak Shay" featuring Lebanese vocalist Rashid Al Najjar.
Due June 9 via World Circuit, Jarak Qaribak — which translates to "Your Neighbour Is Your Friend," according to a press release — was co-produced by Greenwood and Tassa, and mixed by longtime Radiohead co-conspirator Nigel Godrich. In assembling the tracks, Greenwood said he was "trying to imagine what Kraftwerk would have done if they'd been in Cairo in the 1970s."
Further leaning into collaboration, the album features numerous guest appearances, including contributions from Iraqi vocalist Karrar Alsaedi, Dubai's Safae Essafi, Moroccan singer Mohssine Salaheddine, Egyptian artist Ahmed Doma, Palestinian vocalist Nour Freteikh and more.
"When people listen to this music, I really love to imagine them thinking… what is this?" said Tassa. "It sounds 1970s, but there are drum machines, there are guitars but they're singing in Arabic… what's going on?"
Greenwood continued, "We didn't want to make out that we're making any political point, but I do understand that as soon as you do anything in that part of the world it becomes political, even if it's just artistic. Actually, possibly especially if it's artistic."
"Israel is a small country between all those countries, so we're very influenced by those cultures and by that music," Tassa added. "And a lot of us in Israel — like my family — are descended from people who came here from elsewhere in the Middle East, so everything gets mixed up."
Tassa opened for Radiohead on tour in 2017, after Greenwood played on his 2009 album Basof Mitraglim Le'Hakol.
Check out "Ashufak Shay," as well as the album tracklist, below.
Jarak Qaribak:
1. Djit Nishrab (feat. Ahmed Doma)
2. Ashufak Shay (feat. Rashid Al Najjar])
3. Taq ou-Dub (feat. Nour Freteikh)
4. Leylet Hub (feat. Mohssine Salaheddine)
5. Ya Mughir al-Ghazala (feat. Karrar Alsaadi)
6. Ahibak (feat. Safae Essafi)
7. Ya 'Anid Ya Yaba (feat. Lynn A.)
8. Lhla Yzid Ikthar
9. Jan al-Galb Salik (feat. Noamane Chaari and Zaineb Elouati)
Pre-order Jarak Qaribak.
Due June 9 via World Circuit, Jarak Qaribak — which translates to "Your Neighbour Is Your Friend," according to a press release — was co-produced by Greenwood and Tassa, and mixed by longtime Radiohead co-conspirator Nigel Godrich. In assembling the tracks, Greenwood said he was "trying to imagine what Kraftwerk would have done if they'd been in Cairo in the 1970s."
Further leaning into collaboration, the album features numerous guest appearances, including contributions from Iraqi vocalist Karrar Alsaedi, Dubai's Safae Essafi, Moroccan singer Mohssine Salaheddine, Egyptian artist Ahmed Doma, Palestinian vocalist Nour Freteikh and more.
"When people listen to this music, I really love to imagine them thinking… what is this?" said Tassa. "It sounds 1970s, but there are drum machines, there are guitars but they're singing in Arabic… what's going on?"
Greenwood continued, "We didn't want to make out that we're making any political point, but I do understand that as soon as you do anything in that part of the world it becomes political, even if it's just artistic. Actually, possibly especially if it's artistic."
"Israel is a small country between all those countries, so we're very influenced by those cultures and by that music," Tassa added. "And a lot of us in Israel — like my family — are descended from people who came here from elsewhere in the Middle East, so everything gets mixed up."
Tassa opened for Radiohead on tour in 2017, after Greenwood played on his 2009 album Basof Mitraglim Le'Hakol.
Check out "Ashufak Shay," as well as the album tracklist, below.
Jarak Qaribak:
1. Djit Nishrab (feat. Ahmed Doma)
2. Ashufak Shay (feat. Rashid Al Najjar])
3. Taq ou-Dub (feat. Nour Freteikh)
4. Leylet Hub (feat. Mohssine Salaheddine)
5. Ya Mughir al-Ghazala (feat. Karrar Alsaadi)
6. Ahibak (feat. Safae Essafi)
7. Ya 'Anid Ya Yaba (feat. Lynn A.)
8. Lhla Yzid Ikthar
9. Jan al-Galb Salik (feat. Noamane Chaari and Zaineb Elouati)
Pre-order Jarak Qaribak.
