Montreal, Quebec<\/p>\n\n\n\n
My main gig is at SODEC<\/a>, a government arts funder in Quebec. My role is to help enhance the digital strategies of companies and organisations that are active internationally, in the music, literary, visual arts and artisanal sectors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On the side, I also run a small company called shouc-shouc which primarily aims to build international partnerships and trades in the music sector. I focus here on the Middle Eastern and North African regions, without necessarily being limited to them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve been building a couple of playlists that have kept me very happy these last few months. The first is of Nigerian pop tunes; I love how their sense of humour translates into their music, and it turns out that I can be a bit of a sucker for sappy love songs. But hey, in this crazy reality, nothing wrong with some TLC. I also really appreciate how it\u2019s lyrically free of swear words and thematically not derogatory towards women. It\u2019s just easy, light and fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The second playlist is of South African House music. I recently discovered this repertoire while visiting the country for the first time in January and basically Shazamed my way through the whole vacation. Holy cow is their music scene so, so good! Just like their food, fashion, sceneries, wines, gardens\u2026 South Africa is really a gem to be discovered for those who haven\u2019t been.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I really like Lauren Laverne\u2019s show on BBC Radio 6 Music<\/a>, she\u2019s been a main source of my music purchases this year. But I primarily listen to Ici Musique<\/a> which helps me keep up to date with all of our excellent local independent music, and beyond. My homie Vic Galloway also has a great show on BBC Scotland which makes me discover a lot of fun things. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Otherwise, the Youtube algorithm has worked out for my listening pleasures quite nicely. It doesn\u2019t discriminate on language, which is very important to me. So I\u2019ve made a bunch of discoveries there over the years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Other than that, it\u2019s just a lot of research. I keep up to date with the Music In Africa newsletter (which sometimes offers posts about top regional tracks) and love everything Scene Arabia shares, whether it\u2019s music, art, or whatever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last time I listened to a CD was probably not even that long ago, haha! But in all fairness, it was Help! by the Beatles, you sometimes get a bunch of weird versions when you try to stream their music. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve never been much of an \u201calbum person\u201d, so playlisting my favorite tracks has been the way for me since the mixtape era. I recently decided that instead of spending 10$ \/ month on streaming platforms (that NEVER work for me anyway, except occasionally for Youtube), I would invest that money in actually purchasing music, and ensure that it\u2019s majoritarily Black artists who are directly receiving my modest dollars. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So I\u2019m back to basics, discovering music on the radio (or web radio), and downloading what I like to my phone. Easy! <\/p>\n\n\n\n “I recently decided that instead of spending 10$ \/ month on streaming platforms, I would invest that money in actually purchasing music, and ensure that it\u2019s majoritarily Black artists who are directly receiving my modest dollars.”<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n At home while working (or doing anything else really), while walking or running. Basically, I listen to music during 90% of the time that I\u2019m awake, my iPad is playing random tracks now as I write this interview. I don\u2019t think I could pick up a broom without listening to music, it\u2019s something deeply intertwined with how I function as a human.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That doesn\u2019t happen much. When it does, it\u2019s usually sent to me in a raw form so that someone can get my opinion on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I really hate ads. Like, I really really do. But not much frustration otherwise, especially that I don\u2019t really consume anything on streaming services anymore, if I do it\u2019s from personal playlists I make on Youtube. Otherwise I appreciate that digital formats can easily be carried around and that I can quickly file everything that excites me. So I\u2019m good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Playlisting. What I super love and want with me all the time so that I can listen to it obsessively will get purchased and downloaded to my phone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n I can get really annoying when I\u2019m excited about something and find ways to force share whatever I\u2019m listening to. In a deconfined life, I would trap my friends by inviting them for dinner, but then spend the whole time interrupting our conversations to explain things about the music playing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n What can I say, I\u2019m sure that I have other redeeming qualities since my friends would keep returning for dinner. <\/p>\n\n\n\n I want to give a shout out to my homeboy ETYEN<\/a> in Beirut who crafts delicate techno music and just released a beautiful compilation called \u201cBeirut Remixed<\/a>\u201d. Buy it! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Another shout out to my homegirl G.Rizo<\/a>, a multidisciplinary artist and event curator in Abuja, and mastermind behind Abuja Art Week<\/a>, Naija Tech Creatives<\/a>, and the House House House podcast \/ event series. Check her out and support! <\/p>\n\n\n\n I would greatly appreciate that anyone still reading get to know the music scene from Beirut and support however they can. On top of dealing with COVID in a collapsed economy, the explosion on August 4th basically destroyed the city\u2019s artistic neighborhoods : venues, studios, equipment, everything. Bandcamp has recently published a great piece highlighting some of the city\u2019s talent, and my friend Amani Semaan, Director of the Beirut and Beyond Music Festival, is collaborating in maintaining a trusted list of ways<\/a> people can directly support specific causes (inside and outside the cultural scene)<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat are you listening to?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do you discover new music?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What formats do you usually listen to? LP, CD, Cassette, Digital, Streaming Services? Why?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Where do you do most of your music listening?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do you find and listen to pre-release music?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What are your frustrations with listening to music digitally? Any benefits?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How do you keep track of everything you are listening to?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Do you tip other people off to new music? How?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Anything you want to \u201cpromote\u201d?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n