The Dwarfs of East Agouza
The Dwarfs Of East Agouza es un trío formado en El Cairo en 2012 por Maurice Louca (Lehkfa), Alan Bishop (Sun City Girls, Sublime Frequencies) y Sam Shalabi (Land Of Kush), quienes tienen a su haber 10 discos en los que se combinan dosis de psicodelia, música árabe, ruido, palpitantes ritmos que inducen al trance y todo ello ejecutado en el marco de la improvisación libre. Sus lanzamientos se han publicado en Sub Rosa, Akuphone, Nawa Recordings y este nuevo álbum, es el primero para sello de Montreal, Constellation Records.
Alan Bishop es cofundador de Sun City Girls, propietario del sello Abduction y fundador de Sublime Frequencies, junto a su hermano Richard Bishop y Hisham Mayet. En tanto, Maurice Louca es un compositor e intérprete egipcio de música experimental y Sam Shalabi es compositor e improvisador egipcio-canadiense que vive en Montreal.
En este nuevo álbum que se publicó el 3 de octubre 2025, tocan Sam Shalabi en guitarra eléctrica; Maurice Louca en teclados, ritmos, electrónica y Alan Bishop: saxofón alto, guitarra acústica, voz. Tres veteranos con una larga trayectoria en la música experimental.
“Swollen Thankles” abre el álbum que evoca el trabajo de Giridhar Udupa y Sam Shackleton con sus capas electrónicas planeadoras y aire arabesco. En “Saber Tooth Millipede” la guitarra suelta deshilachadas notas al borde de la desafinación junto a afilados punteos y percusión tribal. En tanto en “Double Mothers” emerge de un mundo tribal con un lento y persistente pulso rítmico. “Titular” expone un beat repetitivo que acompaña de unas exóticas frases de teclados. Le sigue “Neptune Anteater” con un diálogo de guitarras que deambula junto a un ritmo envolvente. “A Body To Match” se desenvuelve por intrigantes pasajes en el que se entrelazan las guitarras desafinadas y un beat tribal. A ritmo ralentizado se desplaza “Goldfish Molasses” junto a unas voces amorfas y agonizantes. «Sasquatch Landslide» se presenta como un álbum abstracto, hipnótico y especialmente impredecible.
The Dwarfs Of East Agouza is a trio formed in Cairo in 2012 by Maurice Louca (Lehkfa), Alan Bishop (Sun City Girls, Sublime Frequencies) and Sam Shalabi (Land Of Kush), who have released 10 albums combining doses of psychedelia, Arabic music, noise, pulsating trance-inducing rhythms, all performed within the framework of free improvisation. Their releases have been published on Sub Rosa, Akuphone, Nawa Recordings, and this new album is their first for the Montreal label Constellation Records.
Alan Bishop is co-founder of Sun City Girls, owner of the Abduction label and founder of Sublime Frequencies, alongside his brother Richard Bishop and Hisham Mayet. Meanwhile, Maurice Louca is an Egyptian composer and performer of experimental music and Sam Shalabi is an Egyptian-Canadian composer and improviser living in Montreal.
On this new album, released on 3 October 2025, Sam Shalabi plays electric guitar; Maurice Louca plays keyboards, rhythms and electronics; and Alan Bishop plays alto saxophone, acoustic guitar and vocals. Three veterans with a long history in experimental music.
‘Swollen Thankles’ opens the album, evoking the work of Giridhar Udupa and Sam Shackleton with its gliding electronic layers and arabesque air. In ‘Saber Tooth Millipede,’ the guitar releases frayed notes on the verge of detuning alongside sharp strums and tribal percussion. Meanwhile, ‘Double Mothers’ emerges from a tribal world with a slow and persistent rhythmic pulse. “Titular” features a repetitive beat accompanied by exotic keyboard phrases. It is followed by ‘Neptune Anteater’ with a dialogue of guitars that wanders alongside an enveloping rhythm. ‘A Body To Match’ unfolds through intriguing passages in which out-of-tune guitars and a tribal beat intertwine. ‘Goldfish Molasses’ moves at a slower pace alongside amorphous, agonizing vocals. ‘Sasquatch Landslide’ shows up as an abstract, hypnotic and particularly unpredictable album.
