Selections: Dar Disku

Dar Disku’s self-titled debut album is out now on Soundway Records. The Bahrain-born duo of Mazen Almaskati and Vish Mhatre have been operating under the moniker since 2018, when a lifetime of sharing music and, later, DJing a unique mix of styles from the West and the South-West Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region, coalesced into an identifiable project.

Since then, Dar Disku – aka Vish and Maz – has also become a label, releasing the pair’s own modern dancefloor edits of old Arabidisco, habibi house and other sounds, as well as those by artists like Moving Still and Tjade. Their new LP draws on elements of “Egyptian folk, Turkish psych, Algerian rai, Sudanese funk, Ethiopian jazz, Nigerian disco” and more, incorporating analogue production techniques and vocals from rising singers like Billur Battal, Yacine El Khaldi and Aymen Attia, as well as the iconic Asha Puthli, to create tracks that feel both classic and current. 

It’s a gorgeous listen, cohesive but with standout club tracks, and full of upbeat drums, funky bass, and synths that seem to scatter vibrant colours like lights off a mirror ball — signatures of the Dar Disku sound. But what really sets it apart is the addition of field recordings, which bring the album beyond the dancefloor and create a warm, bustling world to get lost in. 

For their Selections, the duo spotlight tracks from friends and favourites, spanning hip-hop, house, new beat, lovers rock and more. Dive in below and listen to/buy Dar Disku’s debut album here.