Against a backdrop of daily horror across the Levant, there are voices like Mayss from Jordan. Her video “On This Land” accompanies the compilation for Palestine I covered earlier this summer. Now is also a time to discover her far-reaching mixing and podcasting work, including conversations with David Lynch and Underground Resistance co-founder Mike Banks. And now may truly be a time for inner stillness.
First, the music video. I think it went largely unnoticed, but it’s honest and raw, an expression of the emotions you hear from so many people right now. Since I wrote up the compilation Enough, the region’s situation has only deteriorated, and that has continued to deeply impact the music scene and the practice of music making. I’ve watched in horror as Israel has escalated in the West Bank, Palestine, which has directly hit some of the places and people I saw when I was there in May. Israeli forces killed peace and human rights activist and US American Aysenur Eygi, which you likely know – but you should read from the source, ISM. I worry about people like nonviolent leader Issa Amro, as I watch daily reports that claim adults, children, even infants. Death tolls in Gaza, occupied West Bank and Golan Heights, and Lebanon have continued to climb, and none of the region is any safer – least of all any Palestinians, in the midst of what the Lemke Institute called a genocide last year. The CDM readership covers Palestinians, Lebanese, Israelis – the lot. And to be honest, even where we may disagree, I haven’t spoken to anyone with any ties to the region who has said they want the violence to continue. It’s in our minds and hearts even when it’s not apparent from the outside. And I don’t know that we can look at the world around us without seeing blame in the systems our societies have built, especially here in the west.
Mayss has been someone who has consistently connected artists across all these locales in the region and Europe. Do check her compilation (at bottom) if you haven’t already; here’s the powerful video:
If you listen to nothing else, perhaps listen to the show Mayss did in August for Radio alHara, “To Inner Stillness”:
Podcasting has become a desert wasteland of big commercial productions and media brands. Or it’s bros spouting extremist nonsense — sprinkled liberally with modern snake oil nutritional supplements. But part of the joy of the podcast is abandoning listener numbers or commerce or big media. We’re blessed with people having deep-dive conversations with experts the press misses, with long-form chats about inspiration whispered into our ears, and with eclectic musical and sonic journeys.
Mayss’ own series Dreaming Live is just perfect. It’s all relevant to the present moment, but also a chance to give some respite from the numbing repetitiveness of the news before the endless loop of headlines suck everyone’s souls out through their eyes.
There’s this fantastic conversation with Mike Banks and Underground Resistance. The honest truth is, yeah, a lot of techno even in the early days was not particularly political. But the exceptions are important. Mike was always focused on giving back to his community and saying something, and he’s as active in his career in that regard as ever.
There’s a fantastic chat with David Lynch – yeah, that David Lynch. The two of them make a great pair; I’d listen to a regular podcast of this.
And there’s the mighty, 94-year-old Marshall Allen of The Sun Ra Arkestra, talking about listening to the sounds of the universe – as essential now as ever. “It’s so big, I don’t know,” laughs Marshall. And then in a more sober reflection: “You can use the sound to heal; you can use the sound to kill – it’s how you use it.”
“You can use the sound to heal; you can use the sound to kill – it’s how you use it.”
Marshall Allen
Mayss has also gone through label-focused “thank you” mixes, like most recently, Berlin-based Psychic Liberation:
Or there’s also Tresor Records, speaking of Mike Banks – and a German institution that never, ever failed to credit its Detroit connections:
Do check the compilation. It has also since had a mix from Mayss for Kiosk Radio:
So it seems we have to just keep shouting enough until it’s heard.
bonus cut – do check out the superb track “Qalaq 9” (w/Mayss, Mazen Kerbaj, Sharif Sehnaoui & Raed Yassin). I’m reminded of this because you can catch Mayss in Brussels on the 27th if you’re in town. (I’ll be here in Berlin, but enjoy!) And I’m thinking especially of everyone Lebanese, who to state the obvious, have had a hellish dystopian week yet again like they’re caught in someone else’s sci-fi nightmare.