Amman-based Yazan Sarayrah is a stalwart of Jordan’s alternative music scene, and currently the lead guitarist in Autostrad, one of the pioneers of indie music in the Middle East over the last 20 years.
In recent years, however, he’s swapped guitar, bass and drums for electronics and stepped out under his own name. His second album IRTH-TRONIC, released at the end of July by Amman-based collective Keife, melds Arabic maqam systems, Nabatean poetry and Bedouin musical traditions with melodic, progressive electronic music to great effect.
“One of the most beautiful things I appreciate about electronic music is that the focus is not on the artist; it’s more about the dance floor and the people who are there,” he says. “It’s a journey, it’s generosity. That’s so beautiful.”
Originally from the desert south of the country, Sarayrah is a long-time resident of the capital, Amman, from where he took a break from Autostrad rehearsals to give Inflyte+ a taste of the electronic music scene in a city rarely visited by western artists.
Best club
Very recently, there’s a really nice venue that opened called El-Masnaa. In English, it means The Factory. And this is a very old venue that no one was using for a very long time, and they reopened it recently. I had the privilege to perform in the showcase the first time they opened there. It’s a really beautiful venue, and it’s getting better every time.
Also, there’s a really nice club called Bloc7. It’s more than one floor, and each floor has a different sound. On the top floor, they do commercial music and cover bands. Another floor is called The Cellar, and that floor plays more disco. The lower floor is called Plastic, and they play a different variety of sounds, but more towards the hypnotic, electronic side of things.
Favourite bar
Two of my favorite places in Amman to hang out for a beer would be The Corner’s and Red’s. The Corner’s is a pub with a small stage where they have an open mic every month. One of my first gigs ever was there, and it’s very supportive of artists. I’ve also played at Red’s a couple of times.
The Corner’s holds 100 people. It evolved through the years. It started with a minimal, woody atmosphere, and then became a bit more modern. Before we had El-Masnaa or Bloc7, The Corner’s was one of the first places to host bands and open mics. A lot of artists got to know each other there. It’s a really nice ecosystem for musicians.
Red’s is not as music-focused, but it brings interesting people. Whenever I have free time, I go there for a beer, and it’s never just one beer – there’s always an interesting conversation. I go for that.
Favourite restaurant
I’m not a foodie person, but one restaurant any person visiting Jordan would be directed to is Hashem. It’s downtown and has been around for ages. It’s a very old place doing falafel, hummus, and traditional Arabic breakfast dishes. Whoever gets you from the airport will take you directly to Hashem.
Best DJ
For the last two-and-a-half to three years, I’ve isolated myself completely from listening to new music because making this album required living in an alternate universe. But my friends play, and I always go to see them.
A friend of mine named Ameed is the guy who organized the first festival I participated in. He has been doing a lot of festivals, and his artistic vision is very beautiful. He knows how to bring people together and create beautiful experiences. Every time he plays, I go because I know my ears are going to be delighted – he can capture the energy of the room and move with it.
Another DJ is my friend Faris, who goes by Fanun. He plays for fun and isn’t genre-specific; he plays what he feels. He’s very educational with the way he plays, and I love that.
Best festival
For electronic music, there are two major mainstream festivals bringing international DJs: Recovery Festival and Overground – but there are also more boutique, community-based festivals that I love, like Dune Dance Festival. It started as a group of friends renting a campsite in Wadi Rum to play music.
The second year, they tried to make it much bigger, which brought challenges because managing multiple camps in the desert is difficult. The third year, they went back to the camp they knew, expanded it, and it was amazing. It happened this year in May.
It has acts from different places around the region, and a big chunk of the crowd is expats living in Jordan. It’s a very multicultural festival; very chill, friendly, and community-focused. At night in the desert, it gets cold, so everyone gathers around the fire.
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Best label
The music executive side here – managers, bookers, agents – is in its very first stages. People are trying, but working individually means building a network takes time. One collective I’m honoured to be part of is Keife Records. They’re an artist development boutique label and collective supporting artists they believe in and pushing sounds they like.
Working with them is wonderful. They never limit you, and I’m thankful for the freedom and support. We’re friends first, so it’s an open dialogue about where the music is going and our shared vision.
Favourite hangout spot
A place very close to my heart, where I camp on my own, is Dibeen Forest, located about 45 minutes north of Amman. It’s a place where I go to disconnect and be with nature. If you go down the mountain a bit, you can find secluded areas that aren’t frequently visited.
Jordan has diverse landscapes. The southern parts are desert landscape, where I come from, with a Bedouin culture. The northern parts are greener with farming communities. In the south, I go to Wadi Rum when I need to get away.
Unsung hero
I can think of a lot of names that are working behind the scenes and helping me a lot, so I’d rather not single out just one person, but there’s a sound company called Outro who have always been supportive – if I want to film a live set, they’ll give me sound equipment for free. I work with Salma, who handle our creative direction and share our vision. And a promoter named Shermine Sawalha, who is based in Canada but comes to Jordan regularly. The stuff that she makes here is very memorable, in my opinion.
Best record shop
I’m not a record collector, unfortunately, and we only have one small record shop inside The Cellar at Bloc7. They stock local stuff – we don’t have vinyl pressing plants or many local artists producing vinyl. The only local vinyl I’ve seen physically was by a band called El Morabba3. It was gifted to me and I didn’t do anything with it, so I gave it to my nephew, but I love this band. They’re one of the most influential bands in the region.