Ayam El Disco

As the title makes clear, this killer compilation from Egyptian DJ and crate-digger Disco Arabesquo explores a lesser-known aspect of Egypt’s musical culture – local translations of disco, boogie and electrofunk released on cassette throughout the 1980s. Accompanied by stellar liner notes from the man himself, it delivers glorious, floor-ready fusions of North African and Arabic instrumentation, heady lead vocals, killer disco grooves, synths galore and plenty of nods to contemporaneous black American dance music. It’s the kind of comp that’s as entertaining as it is educational, which in our book is a perfect combination.