Selections: Oldyungmayn
In this series, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share the contents of their collections. This week, Oldyungmayn spotlights experimental hip-hop, woozy shoegaze, industrial techno and more
At a time when slick transitions are all the rage, Oldyungmayn relishes in contrast. Best delineated by their ravenous dancefloor rigour, the Egyptian-Palestinian artist’s productions and DJ sets swerve from broken techno, electro, and trance to the sounds of his Middle Eastern heritage. This uninhibited approach might have something to do with his upbringing, which began amidst the burgeoning underground music and art scene of Dubai, where Oldyungmayn put on parties alongside fellow emerging DJs Karrouhat and Seki Supervillain, before relocating to the clubbers’ paradise of Berlin in 2022.
His appetite for production came in the latter stages of that timeline, and is therefore steered largely by his desire to play and mix his tracks live. From the ear-splittingly euphoric ‘Nosferatu’, released alongside close friend and collaborator Van Boom, to his expansive contribution to Shelter’s new ‘Mizgîn’ compilation, which surfs the more melodic, trancey zones of his deconstructed club sound, Oldyungmayn has mastered the art of ensnaring European dancefloors, whilst continually challenging the binaries of club music along the way. He deploys a similar razor-sharp approach on recent mixes for FACT, Crack and XLR8R, and guest appearances on NTS for hosts such as Endgame and ZULI, colliding bass-heavy textures and percussive polyrhythms with anarchic precision.
Oldyungmayn was recently named on the 2023/24 roster for innovative music and audiovisual art programme SHAPE+, where the artist will receive support – both financial and professional – to take his sound to new heights. Though shuffling through his Selections, which span industrial techno and hip-hop, through to post-hardcore and shoegaze, it’s anyone’s guess what that might sound like. Dive in below.
“I must have listened to this album hundreds of times by now... I find it to be one of the most influential works I’ve come across, and I love the intersection of Islamic poetry and hard 808s.”
“Hearing the track ‘Z’ for the first time actually made me cry, and it still does every time I listen to it. Mayah and I are close and have a lot of shared experiences growing up in the Middle East.”
“Discovering BLEED in 2021 was really impactful for me, especially during the pandemic and is still one of my favorite discoveries until now.”
“I was fortunate enough to hear Fantas live, which was such an emotional experience – Caterina has an unbelievable talent when it comes to modular synthesizers and I always encourage my friends to try and catch her if they can.”
“Overall, an incredible shoegaze album that feels fresh and unique.”
“Van Boom is one of my best friends and in my opinion, the best person to collaborate with. Seeing his musical development over the last years and especially with this album makes me very proud of him, and the work itself is articulate and resonates with me deeply.”
“This would be one of my all time favorite experimental hip hop albums.”
“I have fond memories of listening to this album almost every day when I was still in school, and somehow it really convinced me to keep focused on my studies.”
“The way that Rita (E-Saggila) constructs her melodies in her music sets her apart from most other producers. There’s so much depth, but at the same time, it’s catchy and energetic, and her adding elements like the Iraqi kasoor keeps it fun.”
“I’ve heard this album so many times since it came out and every time I hear it, I’m totally inspired. I love how Sd Laika took classic-sounding grime beats to another level with this album, really impressive.”
