Premiere: GIDEÖN ‘The West Bank (feat. Akram & EBS)’

GIDEÖN will release a new EP, ‘Storytime’, via Homo-Centric Records this week. Listen to ‘The West Bank (feat. Akram & EBS)’ below.

The four-track suite is the second release on the DJ, musician and Block9 founder’s own label, which he launched last September as a platform to “showcase his own productions and to amplify the work of queer artists in underground dance music with a specific focus on highlighting and celebrating the queer heritage of House music.” 

Embellishing his thumping, classic house sound with flourishes of ballroom and New York garage, as well as traditional Arabic melodies, the EP is a clear statement of Homo-Centric’s sonic MO. These are dancefloor stompers produced with purpose. 

Speaking about the release, GIDEÖN said: ‘‘This second EP goes a few steps further in the labels mission to focus on the queerness at the heart of House. It’s a broad-church collection of a bunch of different facets of the house sound that I love… I’m delighted to get this EP out there into the world finally and proud to have featured such strong artist partnerships on it.‘‘

Opener ‘Nothing Without You‘ is a collaboration with legendary New York vocalist Mandel Turner, who performed the track live with GIDEÖN at Glastonbury’s NYC Downlow last year. 

‘The West Bank’ closes the EP on a low-slung tip, written in the Maqam Hijaz scale in collaboration with Palestinian violinist Akram Abdulfattah. Speaking about the track’s origins, GIDEÖN said: “I wrote [this track] while in Palestine working on a project at Banksy’s hotel there. I conceived and produced a musicians Creative Retreat there with the likes of Mashrou Leila, Brian Eno, The Blessed Madonna, Trio Joubran, Roisin Murphy and the insanely talented classical violinist who features on this track, Akram Abdulfattah. Part of the retreat programme involved learning the basics of the Maqams, the Arabic system of melodic modes used in traditional music.”

‘Storytime’ will be released tomorrow, 10th February. Pre-order it here.