Shurooq

Amman-based Toumba announces Rosefinch, his first EP on wax, and the debut release from London-based record label Hypnic Jerks. The Jordanian DJ, producer and sound designer integrates elements from Jordanian and Levantine folk music into his left-leaning, low-end heavy club sounds. Multipack of Limes is a percussive workout dotted through with zesty keys, building up to a driving lead that recalls the keyboard players of Jordanian weddings. Shurooq and Sa7rawi are both representative of Jordan's beautiful pink-tinted deserts. Shurooq, meaning 'sunrise', is a slow burner, which builds anticipation through its synth and percussive elements before a huge weighty sub-bass ties the track together. Sa7rawi, an aggressive peak-time chugger, evocatively conveys the beauty and harsh ruggedness of the desert's terrain. Lil Amam Sir, a term used in the army meaning "march forward", is one for the DJs: a four to the flour banger complete with microtonal polyrhythm synth hits that are sure to get the crowd two-stepping like clockwork.

Toumba is a curator at MNFA, a club and arts space in Jordan's capital Amman. It has become a haven for the country's artistic community in the face of a conservative establishment that often harbours a hostile attitude towards the types of cultural expression that MNFA champions. Inhabiting a hotel's subterranean parking garage, MNFA now stands firmly as the most important venue in Jordan's underground arts scene and a safe space for a certain like-minded, anti-establishment subculture. It's been recognised by RA as its 'Club of the Week' - a feature reserved for the most important clubs around the world. With a broad network of connections across both the Middle-Eastern and Western dance music scene, Toumba works on the curation of MNFA's musical programme, booking the likes of TSVI, Giant Swan and Parrish Smith.He also serves as one of their resident DJs. The EP is named after the national bird of Jordan.

A nationally respected artist, Toumba also holds a residency at the MMAG Foundation in Amman. The foundation works with a selection of the most gifted artists in the Levant (Jordan, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine), providing a space for artistic research, production and critical discourse. By sponsoring Toumba's ongoing artistic practice, MMAG has furthered his research into Levantine music. He applies these unique traditions through a synthesis with avant garde and electronic music, utilising modern methods of music production. This is a vocation that was catalysed by his time spent living in Loughborough, UK and is inextricably linked to his musical output as Toumba.

After the large explosion in Beirut - a major hub for electronic music in the Middle East - which left an estimated 300,000 people homeless in 2020, Toumba saw a chance to use music to make a difference. After seeing footage of countless musicians losing their work, livelihoods and equipment, he decided to call out to artists in order to create a compilation to raise funds. This project exceeded Toumba's every expectation. Within the short space of three weeks, there were 39 artists on the compilation - Grief Into Rage - including Lara Sarkissian, TSVI, Pugilist, Air Max '97, DJ Plead and 8ULENTINA. Now, a year and a half later, around £6k has been raised and donated to the Lebanese Red Cross & The Beirut Musicians Fund directly from this compilation.

Rosefinchfollows on from Toumba's debut EP through All Centre - 115 - a potent three tracker of heady sonic experiments and a bold demonstration of his intricate flair for percussion. It earned accolades, including Mixmag's Track of the Day for 'lr7eb'. Toumba is also a fearsome DJ and was recognised by Mixmag in their Best DJ Mixes of the Year feature for 2020, as well as through RA's Mix of the Day and their June's Best Mixes (2022). He is an esteemed resident on Movement Radio in Athens, with guests including Ben UFO, Aya, Gabber Eleganza and many more.