Cosmo Records is back with the 14th electronic-acoustic project signed by Monkey Nenufar, the duo of Ben Vedren and Leiris. True to the spirit of the house, minimal and house meets
traditional sounds of local artists on an EP once again captivating.
On March 26th, the pioneering Moroccan label announced the vinyl release of ‘2 Monkeys in the Oud’ and at the same time its comeback. Mambotur’s ‘Elemental Remixes’ EP.2 remixed by Cab Drivers and Luc Ringeisen in 2017 was the last release left by Cosmo, along with twelve other projects to listen to over and over again. The discography is a catalog of original tracks we rarely see, including Ricardo Villalobos, Margaret Dygas, Masomenos, Radiq, Sonja Moonear or Cesar Merveille to name a few.
The long-awaited Cosmo 014 gives voice to Monkey Nenufar, the vessel for Ben Vedren and Leiris’ most intricate and psychoactive tracks. Cosmos 2018 gently opens the EP on aerial and meditative sounds punctuated by a drum background, before ‘Heode’ takes over on the B side. A techno bassline charges ahead with purpose, setting the scene for Jamal Nouman’s Mawwal Arabic-Andalusian vocals, seeped lightly and progressively between electronic resonances. ‘2 Monkeys in the Oud’ adds a subtle final touch with a complex and changing production that mutates and evolves to the sound of Saad El Bouaamri’s oud, a short-neck lute-type instrument popular in Arab countries.
Founded in 2009 by Adil Hiani, Laurent Grumel, Driss Lahlou, and Mehdi Alj, the Cosmo spirit aspires to create bridges between Western, Latin, West African and Eastern music. In the studio, international electronic artists share experiences with traditional artists through a unique creative process. “The label is seeking to spearhead a revolutionary form of blending various musical spectrums” announces their website. It is by bringing together diverse musical background that each track is a fascinating journey, where experimental house, minimal and/or techno continue to echo ancestral stamps.
More than mixing electronic sounds with traditional songs and instruments, it is also through environmental noises that the artists draw their imagination. Cosmo 007 Adil Hiani’s ‘Les Moutons Ivres’ EP introduces sheep bleating between minimal rhythms on the A1 with a crescendo intensity throughout the tracks, for a funkier last version ‘Drunk Disco Drop’ penned by San Proper.
You can get your hands on the EP at all good vinyl dealers.
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