Just as Bob Dylan went electric, The Spy From Cairo is going electronic. The man-who-is-the-band, Moreno Visini, has set aside his classical Oud, a short-necked relative to the lute, in favor of more modern instruments. However, if his new track, “Sahir,” is any indication, Visini's new sound might have a more pronounced influence from dub and a hard pulsing beat, but it still retains spontaneity, warmth and sense of place that has characterized his music since 2004.
It's Afropop's honor to digitally debut the new track today. “Sahir” is a single from his forthcoming album, Nothing New Under the Sun, which is scheduled to come out December 1 on Wonderwheel Records. The track has been popping up at Visini's festival appearances, bringing its cosmic disco swagger to Hungary and Oregon.
The rest of the album is sounding very promising, featuring more dub- and shaabi-inflected electronic music as well as a noteworthy list of collaborators. Maalem Ben Hassan Jaafer from Innov Gnawa shows up on vocal duties, and Visini's band-mates from Brooklyn Gypsies make appearances as well.
The Spy From Cairo is on the move again. Catch him the act by pre-ordering here.
