{"title":"Imarhan","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eImarhan is a talented music artist known for their unique blend of traditional Tuareg music with modern influences. Hailing from Tamanrasset, Algeria, Imarhan has gained international recognition for their captivating melodies and soulful vocals. With their debut album released in 2016, they have since been captivating audiences around the world with their energetic live performances and infectious rhythms. Imarhan's music seamlessly combines elements of rock, blues, and funk with traditional North African sounds, creating a truly mesmerizing musical experience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eImarhan's journey as musicians began at an early age when they were introduced to the rich musical heritage of the Tuareg people. Drawing inspiration from their cultural roots and personal experiences, Imarhan's songs often touch upon themes of love, longing, and social issues. Their lyrics are thought-provoking and poetic, reflecting the complexities of life in the Sahara desert.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWith each release, Imarhan continues to push boundaries and redefine what it means to be a contemporary Tuareg band. Their innovative sound has garnered critical acclaim from both fans and critics alike. Whether you're a fan of world music or simply appreciate great artistry, Imarhan's music is sure to captivate your senses and leave you wanting more.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"imarhan","title":"Imarhan","description":"\u003cp\u003eEvery purchase online or instore gets a free Rough Trade \/ City Slang sampler CD.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe band's debut album is intent on dismantling the ideas western listeners have about popularized Tuareg music. This new wave of Tuareg musicians sound very different to the desert distortion that accompanies groups like Mdou Moctar or Group Inerane. Instead, it finds a calm and passionate soul, provides sumptuous slow burners, and a complexity of composition that hasn't been demonstrated by previous music exported from the Saharan people's musical repertoire. Even if the band has a direct DNA link to trail blazers Tinariwen - (Eyadou Ag Leche of Tinawiren is a cousin of frontman Sadam, and guided their evolution and produced and co-wrote several songs on this album), their poetry and flow has a more integrally urban base than the ancestral tamashek poetry and traditional rhythms of their elders, Tinawiren.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eInstead they offer something much more fresh and intricate; there is a lot of sensitivity and space in these jams, a lot of room for your mind to ponder and drift. This intimacy of Imarhan's sound is no coincidence. In the language of the Kel Tamashek people 'Imarhan' means 'the ones I care about' - Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane aka Sadam, Tahar Khaldi, Hicham Bouhasse, Haiballah Akhamouk and Abdelkader Ourzig all grew up near each other in Tamanrasset, Southern Algeria, in a Tuareg community of Northern Malian descent. The giant divide between their spiritual home and physical home is heard in their tracks: the funkier groove of Western Africa, the emptier, subtle tones of Saharan Traditional folk music and the fire and romance of Algerian Rai music. No other Tuareg release to date has had such a variance of rhythms, tempo and feeling. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eImarhan's record is a heads-up to anyone who thought Tuareg music as just one thing: it's an invitation to closer listening and also an album that will stay fresh for a long time and influence those from the Sahara and beyond.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"City Slang","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50382821687627,"sku":"399618","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/bd2e7ccf-1008-4e31-8f6e-12d507ab503f_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726259988"},{"product_id":"aboogi","title":"Aboogi","description":"\u003cp\u003eFor 20 years the Tuareg culture and music has fascinated the world. Their quasi-sacred poetic songs inspire western songwriters like Kurt Vile or Jose Gonzalez, while the virtuosity of their guitar playing fascinates guitar heroes like Jimmy Page, and finally the spirituality and meditative hypnotism impresses electronic music producers like Four Tet. With two albums, Imarahn has become an emblem of the new Tuareg generation, breathing new life into “Assouf”, the desert blues. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile most of current Tuareg productions are exiled to the United States, the group, led by Sadam, is part of their culture and their city, the capital of the Tuareg people, with an open door to the desert. By building their own studio in Tamanrasset Aboogi, Imarhan become the spokesmen of the young Tuareg lost generation (forgotten by Algerian, Nigerian and Malian governments).With their new album Aboogi, Imarhan manipulate the rights and ancestry of the Tuareg. By inviting the legendary Mohamed At Itlale aka Japonais (who has since, sadly, passed away) and the genius musician Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, Imarahan follows the heritage of Tinariwen, the godfathers of Assouf. When they recorded with Gruff Rhys of the Super Furry Animals, their brilliant and universal songwriting takes on every sense of the word. Finally, by inviting the Sudanese singer Sulafa Elyas, we understand that Imarahn is open to all of Africa, defenders of the Tuaregs but above all spokesperson for the new African generation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"City Slang","offers":[{"title":"Orange | LP","offer_id":50390844735819,"sku":"1135286","price":21.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Black | LP","offer_id":50390843261259,"sku":"1135284","price":17.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Blue | LP","offer_id":50390843982155,"sku":"1135285","price":19.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":50390842605899,"sku":"1135283","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/abd7d805-29fd-487c-8e95-e113583274d9_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1726395251"},{"product_id":"temet","title":"Temet","description":"\u003cp\u003eEvery purchase online or instore gets a free Rough Trade \/ City Slang sampler CD.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Imarhan released their self-titled debut album in 2016, they stepped into a genre already flooded with talent and exposure, but still managed to rise to the top and be heralded as the “new wave Of Tuareg music“. It is with much anticipation that the band from Tamanrasset, Algeria have release their second album \u003ci\u003eTemet\u003c\/i\u003e, on City Slang. \u003ci\u003eTemet\u003c\/i\u003e is a huge leap forward in production, as well as creatively for Imarhan. Whereas their debut was anchored in the meditative Desert Blues tradition, \u003ci\u003eTemet\u003c\/i\u003e eclipses such notions, finding bounce and drive by stirring their sound with funk, fuzz, disco and rock. This is not a novel concept to the band, as anyone who has seen them play will attest. Imarhan's experience as a touring band has reinforced the focus and meaning behind their music. With \u003ci\u003eTemet\u003c\/i\u003e, Imarhan have firmly established themselves as a band to reckon with. Rather than being distracted by meddling around with big producers or famous guests, they’ve focused this release on their inherent strength of songwriting, using the eternal bonds in their community, families and friendships as a blueprint not only for an amazing standalone album, but as a reference for generations to come. “We hope that Imarhan will allow the younger generation to become aware of the fundamental importance of friendship. As long as someone is by your side supporting you, asking for your friendship, what more could you want out of life? You will want for nothing.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLP - With Download \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"City Slang","offers":[{"title":"LP","offer_id":50449520099659,"sku":"1022554","price":11.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/4f5adc27-2b2c-4306-86a5-8285dbad14aa_thumbnail_4096.jpg?v=1727104434"},{"product_id":"essam","title":"Essam","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEssam\u003c\/em\u003e is the band’s fourth album, recorded with the same core lineup, but marks a significant shift in their sound and approach. Musically, it marks a departure from the rocky,bluesy, psychedelic Tuareg guitar-driven sound influenced by Tinariwen’s heritage—moving toward something more open, modern, and exploratory.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor the first time, their long-time sound engineer Maxime Kosinetz stepped in as producer. He travelled to Tamanrasset with Emile Papandreou (of the French duo UTO), a multi-instrumentalist who introduced electronic elements by sampling live instruments and reprocessing them in real time with a modular synthesizer—subtly reshaping the band's sonic identity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe album was recorded mostly live, in one big room at Aboogi Studio—the band’s own rehearsal and recording space in Tamanrasset. The studio, a converted concert hall, has become a kind of cultural hub for the local youth. Friends dropped by during the sessions to contribute handclaps, vocals, and just be part of the energy. It’s a space where people gather, hang out, play dominoes, smoke chicha—a rare communal spot in a city that doesn’t offer many for young people, somewhat like a youth and community center.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis context—the creative shift, the live recording process, the atmosphere around Aboogi—might be interesting threads to explore in the conversation.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"City Slang","offers":[{"title":"LP - Transparent Petrol","offer_id":53602890711371,"sku":"R1323-7837","price":29.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"LP - Black","offer_id":53602890678603,"sku":"R1323-3682","price":28.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"CD","offer_id":53602890645835,"sku":"R1323-7075","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/files\/IMARHAN-ESSAM-PACKSHOT.jpg?v=1760455506"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0867\/1120\/6219\/collections\/test_87921a7c_thumbnail_4096_520fad2e-1547-4282-9205-77a82a6eedf1.jpg?v=1726259970","url":"https:\/\/shop.roughtrade.com\/de\/collections\/imarhan.oembed","provider":"Rough Trade","version":"1.0","type":"link"}