SUFYVN

“I’m just trying to make music that is Sudanese, but also electronic,” he says. “It’s a really slow process. What I’m doing is kind of new; I don’t really have a reference at the back of my head.”

This approach is something of a break for northern African music as a whole. From Egypt to Morocco, pop music has been transformed by synthesizers and auto-tune, a syncretic process documented in some detail by Jace Clayton, aka DJ Rupture, in his book Uproot.

WATCH

Beabadoobee's Guide to Faux Freckles and Lived-In Eyeliner

But the number of artists who are self-consciously engaging northern African rhythm is limited: Egyptian-American sonic provocateur Mutamassik, the occasional Timbaland beat. So naturally, the unique character of Sufyvn’s project has drawn attention far outside his homeland. There’s an upcoming remix project with Alsarah & The Nubatones, and he recently accepted an invitation to Canada to create a track with BJ The Chicago Kid, as part of Spotify’s “I’m with the banned” initiative. For the series, Spotify paired American artists with creators from six nations named in Executive Order 13780—which greatly restricts travel to the U.S. for citizens from six countries, including Sudan—to record original material in beautiful defiance of the ban’s draconian character. Sufyvn has gotten requests to come perform in L.A., but those have been more or less shelved by the executive order.

For the moment that means Sufyvn will continue to work from the relative isolation of Khartoum. “The local music scene doesn’t really resonate with the music I make. It’s a more acoustic scene,” Sufyvn says. In his eyes, however, it’s not all bad. In fact, he passed up the opportunity to make better money as a dentist in Kuwait because he needs the space to create—to continue to explore his singular sound in the only place it can be found. “For now I’m gonna stay here,” he says. “The inspiration when I’m in Kuwait or the Emirates—of course I make music. But it doesn’t sound as good as when I’m making it in Sudan.” - Vogue

10 years ago, Sudan was in the public consciousness for the horrific war waged in its Western region of Darfur. As the dust settles, a generation of artists has arisen, among them the beatmaker Sufyvn.

The Khartoum-based producer just self-released a new album, Pseudarhythm Vol. 2, a surprisingly smooth blend of the tipsy beatwork of early Flying Lotus, the pleasantly unexpected samples of J Dilla, and the instrumentation of classic North African music. Stream in below.

In a profile published by Okayafrica, Sufyvn discussed the growing influence of hip-hop and sampling in Sudanese music as well as his wide-ranging influences and day job as a dentist. - VICE

Perhaps the main element that connects ‘Farasha’ with Alsarah’s previous work, is her ability to lay down a groove, which her vocals ride seamlessly upon throughout the track. Textured with a lo-fi sensibility set against stunning synth pads, a 4/4 rhythm, and Sufyvn’s treatment of the field recordings combine to give the track a unique soundscape. At about the halfway mark of the track, Flippter comes in with his lyrical prowess, marketing the clearest shift in Alsarah’s direction, which for the most part, has been driven by metaphorical songwriting and contemporary Arabic poetics. - Scene Noise