Los Panteros is the experimental duo of Lebanese, Berlin-based self-taught bassist-electronics player-composer (and photographer) Tony Elieh, known for the Middle-Eatern supergroup Karkhana, and Egyptian, Cairo-based vocalist-electronics player-songwriter Aya Metwalli, who is trained with the vast repertoire of classical Egyptian music and have collaborated before with Elieh’s trio Clamaita (Al Saher, Zehra, 2023). The duo was born during the 2020 edition of the experimental Irtijal festival that relocated from Beirut to Berlin, further developed during a residency within the framework of the Phonetics festival in St. Denis in France, and then finalized and debuted at Morphine Raum in Berlin. The title of the album quotes an old Egyptian proverb: «If you take one of my ribs, I’ll grow 24 more», which probably refers to Genesis, and becomes a resilient declaration.
Los Panteros blends Metwalli’s irreverent approach to classical Egyptian music while deviating from the correct notes and exploring the in-betweens of the microtones of Arabic scales and modes, ever so flirting between consonance and dissonance, and Elieh’s hypnotic bass playing mixed with dense textures and complete deconstruction of tune with the help of electronics.
24 Ribs ٢٤ ضُلع offers four heavily treated and manipulated songs, departing from the comfort of familiar melodic structures. The opening «Al Wayel الويل», roughly translated as a sort of threatening suffering and doom, spirals Metwalli’s vocals into and out of recognition only to drown these dreamy vocals in otherworldly noises and distortion. The following «Ya Tayren Tayer يا طيرٍ طاير» (Oh flying bird) references Palestinian oral history and folklore is based on Elieh’s bass filtered through hypnotic loops of distortion and electronic sounds contrasting Metwalli’s clear and pristine delivery. «Zalimou el 7osni ظالم الحسن» nods to a famous song by Oum Kalthoum (Ya Zalemny يا ظالمنى) offers another kind of contrast, of Metwalli’s sensual and melodic delivery and the manipulated stream of jingling bells and ringing high-frequency electronics. This album ends with the haunting title piece where Metwalli’s dreamy vocals are swept in a psychedelic, rhythmic storm of layered and looped sounds. Hoping that this is only the first chapter of this inspired duo.
Eyal Hareuveni
Tony Elieh (electric bass, electronics), Aya Metwali (vocals, electronics)
