Description

Known for their signature blend of Egyptian Shaabi, free jazz and improvisation, the Lebanese duo behind PRAED – Raed Yassin and Paed Conca – now assemble a full orchestra for the second time taking the music to a deeper, rooted level.

Following their 2020 release Live in Sharjah, also under the PRAED Orchestra! moniker, the duo now revisit their unique blend of Arabic heritage and free jazz sensibilities with an album that keeps pushing further into strange and unexpected directions.

The Dictionary of Lost Meanings is just that, seven fully composed pieces and large-scale improvisations, performed by an expanded ensemble of musicians from across the globe. The result is dense and playful, unpredictable but familiar, a record where Arabic rhythms and microtonal melodies collide playfully against electronics, warped vocals and orchestral textures.

It’s less about genre than about memory — like tuning into a radio station broadcasting from somewhere between the past and the future.

PRAED continue to blur the line between popular culture and experimental music in ways that feel both grounded and completely their own.

PRAED ORCHESTRA! are

Raed Yassin: Synthesisers, Vocals, Beats

Paed Conca: Clarinet, Electric bass

Alan Bishop: Alto saxophone, Electric bass, Vocals

Andreas Bral: Harmonium, Electronics

Elisabeth Klinck: Violin

Christian Kobi: Soprano and Tenor Saxophones

Hans Koch: Bass Clarinet

Martin Küchen: Alto and Sopranino Saxophones

Maurice Louca: Synthesizer, electronics

Stan Maris: Accordion

Radwan Ghazi Moumneh: Buzuk, Vocals, Modular Synth

Youmna Saba: Electric Oud, Vocals

Sam Shalabi: Oud, Electric Guitar

Els Vandeweyer: Vibraphone

Khaled Yassine: Drums, Percussion

Michael Zerang: Drums, Percussion

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Recorded by Jasper Jan Peeters at the Summer Bummer Festival, DE Studio, Antwerp August 26, 2022

Mixed by Adham Zidan

Mastered by Mark Gergis

Produced by PRAED

Photos by Geert Vandepoele