Ifriqiyya Electrique

International experimental ensemble Ifriqiyya Electrique use the traditional Sufi trance music of southern Tunisia (Banga) as a primary inspiration and stepping-off point. Founded by guitarist and field recordist/filmmaker François Cambuzat (Putan Club), his bandmate and bassist Gianna Greco, and Sufi trance musicians Tarek Sultan, Yahia Chouchen, and Youssef Ghazala, Ifriqiyya Electrique explore -- through thoroughly modern means -- Sufi traditions and the ritualism enshrined in and associated with the music.

The Ifriqiyya Electrique project was formed in the Djerid Desert in southern Tunisia, home to the Banga ritual of Sidi Marzuq. The Banga is a key annual event in the lives of many people living in southern Tunisia, where spirits are invoked and encouraged to inhabit the bodies of people. But it is also a musical tradition, built around percussion and chant-and-response vocals that encourage listeners to experience the music in a way that leads to a state of trance. With guitar, bass, and electronics, the music of Ifriqiyya Electrique is noisy, gritty, and ultimately forceful. The band's debut album, Ruwahine, was issued in late 2017 by <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Glitterbeat%22">Glitterbeat</a>. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi