Bab L'Bluz | Swaken - Blue Vinyl

LPRW259

10/05/24

Limited edition blue vinyl

‘Swaken’ is the second album by Moroccan French power quartet Bab L’Bluz, and the follow up to their critically acclaimed debut, ‘Nayda!’.

The album was recorded at Real World Studios and built on the song writing, arrangements and production prowess of band members Yousra Mansour and Brice Bottin.

‘Swaken’, meaning ‘possession’ in Darija, evolves to describe spirits haunting humans. Sometimes associated with a transcendent musical experience, it implies a deep connection with music, surpassing simple ‘trance’ with highly agitated body movements. In Chaabi music, ‘Swaken’ goes beyond our dimension, potentially leading to the loss of control over the body and mind, delving into a depth similar to the Lilas of the Gnaoua (a ceremony of song, music, dance, costume and incense that takes place over the course of an entire night ending at dawn).
 

“Beyond mere ‘possession’, we wanted to use this term ‘Swaken’ to emphasize the obsession with ideas, values, and principles, expressing a determination to combat injustices, even challenging customs and traditions.”-BabL’Bluz

Musically forthright, ‘Swaken’ takes the blueprint forged on ‘Nayda!’ and expands it to deliver eleven powerful slices of psychedelic Gnawa blues, full of intelligence, emotion and visceral energy.