Opposite Editorial: Rabih Beaini

Dear readers of field notes,

A crack in the system is never a crack, it’s a transformation. The mere fact that it surprises us when it happens is already a misinterpretation of reality. The reality is that global changes have always been the marking point in time, defining adjustments that we, as human beings, think are casual or random. But they are not.

In the last few years, there has been a growing awareness of global and local issues that are inevitably shaping our approach to music, production, travels, and the whole lifestyle of being an artist these days. Awareness about race, gender, climate crisis, and inequality has led to an empowerment on the »other« side of the world. The rise of self-produced, bedroom music from non-European, non-white countries is shifting the balance in the production process in the wealthy part of the globe.

Musicians from Southeast Asia, Africa, and South America are now leading the world stages and they come with their own sound, their own approach to electronic, electroacoustic, and experimental sound. It’s not about their heritage anymore, nor about their identity as nationals from »exotic countries« but as the creators of their own distinct voice.

This opened a whole new scenario and interest in the paths that were previously based on the »hype machine«, a system that packed everything under one category and tried its best to keep it separate from a non-Western narrative. Besides all the projects that happened in the last few years, here are some upcoming examples of collaborative works that transcend this new wave:

On the 16th of November, Biliana Voutchkova as well as Kiku Day and Ayako Kataoka, who will present a collaborative work, will . On the 26th and 27th,  by Tusa Montes, Tintin Patrone, Pina Bettina Rücker, Cedrik Fermont, Evelyn Saylor, and Dayang Yraola at the Morphine Raum. And on the 22nd of December, Outernational will return with a new edition .

These events will be a mere example of how the experimental scene, widely categorised, is embracing these changes more and more, the sounds and the perspectives on composition, whether it’s written or improvised. This is not a hype, it is here to stay, it’s the new revolution that incorporates non-Western music into the hypes of the moment. Hip hop, techno, improv, contemporary or whatever genre are now indelibly shaped by these new sounds, new sources and new perspectives.

I’m looking forward to seeing you in this hybrid future!

– Rabih Beaini

Rabih Beaini is the founder of Morphine Records and the recently launched Morphine Raum in Kreuzberg, a community space for the artistic community in the city and beyond.