Sandbox Reviewed
Sandbox 12 Reviewed: Gouna-Centered Days and Music-Focused Nights
From sun-soaked afternoons to 5 AM closing sets, Sandbox 12 returned to El Gouna with two moods and one clear identity.
FEATURES
Beyond Hybridity
On Traces, Shkoon Map What Memory Leaves Behind
On their debut full-length, Traces, Shkoon go beyond surface hybridity – into memory, exile, and the sounds that outlast the moment.
Sandbox Trail
Rolling Stone’s Pocket Guide to Sandbox 12
Everything you need to know about the setting, the crowd and the music at Sandbox 12 before heading to the festival.
Beyond Self
Sofiane Pamart Rejects Emotional Exclusivity on Movie
Sofiane Pamart’s most expansive work to date, Movie, reframes authorship, emotion, and the figure of the artist.
Chosen by Song
How Accident, Intuition, and Desire Shape Yasmine Hamdan’s Work
Yasmine Hamdan reflects on making her latest album, the hiatus that led to it, and the emotions it helped her process.
Narein, Jazzed
TUL8TE Plays It By Ear
An exclusive interview with TUL8TE during the recording of the jazz rendition of his latest album, Narein.
Cultural Bridges & Sonic Traffic
House of Yanos Built an Embassy for African Music in Dubai
Inside House of Yanos, the creative collective that made African music’s arrival in Dubai feel like a homecoming.
In Bad Taste
(Ma) Bdna Nrou
Against a long history of political and protest music, Salma Mousa asks why Arab pop today insists we chill when we should rage.
No Labels
Ino Casablanca Is Next: Whether You Know It Or Not
Ino Casablanca steamrolls genres, stereotypes, and labels, clearing ground for a sound as singular as it is inherited.
North Stars
Native, Not Disruptive: Three Voices from North Africa’s New Wave
Emerging indie trailblazers Rita L’Oujdia, Koast, and Zad are charting a new path forward for North African music.
Guides & Guardians
Guides and Guardians: The Four Producers Shaping Egypt’s Rap Scene
Egypt’s hip-hop scene has become a generation’s voice – meet the restless producers guiding, protecting, and pushing it forward.
Sherine Between The Lines
How Sherine Became The Voice of Egypt? A Linguistic Data Analysis
A close reading of Sherine’s lyrics – powered by linguistic data analysis – reveals how her music mirrors Egypt’s shifting realities.
