Select 335: Mixed by NeighborsByMusic

For our latest Select, we have Lebanese vinyl maverick, NeighborsByMusic. Her penchant for discovering new sounds has led her to build an extensive repertoire over the years, blending diverse music styles from different cultures. Her sets often incorporate influences from oriental, Brazilian funk, hip-hop and jazz. NeighborsByMusic treats us to a special vinyl-only set–initially recorded at JIVE in Beirut–that meshes together threads of Brazilian bossa nova, funk, and Arabic oldies from Simone and Hamid El Shaeri with 90s hip-hop and a hint of jazzy house here and there. The colossal proportions of the set, fitting together a multitude of different sounds, are somewhat reflective of the organised chaos that Lebanon is known for. Featuring a thoughtfully curated selection of feel-good tunes, such as Ezra Collective’s ‘Palm Wine’, Mtume’s ‘Juicy Fruit’, and Simone’s ‘Mabsouta’, the set ends abruptly, as if alluding to a typical electricity cut at midnight in Beirut.