Words by Harper Mahood
Boundary-pushing, Beirut-based band SANAM released their third album “Sametou Sawtan” (I Heard a Voice) in September. Born from a country steeped in turbulence, their genre merging sound is reminiscent of the times. SANAM combines psych and kraut rock with skronk, electronics, goth and jazz, building off of their previous releases and grounding their collective sound. SANAM is currently on the road, and will kick off their UK leg of the tour on November 30 at The Attic in Leeds.
Off Shelf: Sametou Sawtan was released on September 19th, marking the third album in Sanam’s discography. How do you feel that your music has evolved during this time?
Anthony Sahyoun: Naturally the music develops in tandem with the relationship between the six of us, there’s definitely more grounding now. And of course with the first record there was a sound we were figuring out as we’re recording it. Imagine learning how to fly an airplane while you’re in the airplane, that’s kind of the feeling. After that you build patterns and tricks to navigate it. With the second record I think the job is to assess your patterns, see what’s worth keeping and what’s not, but of course many factors come into making a record, not only the placement in the discography.
OS: Sametou Sawtan translates to “I heard a voice” in English. Is there a story behind this name choice?
AS: The Lyric Sametou Sawtan is from a text by Omar Al Khayyam, a 13th century Persian polyglot. After finishing the song we felt like that the words encapsulate a big part of our artistic endeavor so we stuck to that as an album title.
OS: Lebanon has experienced a degree of turbulence in recent years, with shifting governments, economic issues and protests. As a Beirut based group, have these events influenced your music and if so, in what way?
AS: Yes, to be frank the biggest issue that the country faced over the past years – and is still facing – is the Israeli aggression on the south and on Beirut over the last year. The economical collapse is one thing, but a country at war with a genocidal entity is something completely different on all fronts, be it economically or otherwise. Of course all these events influence the music. SANAM was formed after the protests, but these events definitely got the artists and musicians in Beirut closer together than further apart.
OS: Can you walk me through your creative process? How did you go about creating Sametou Sawtan?
AS: For Sametou Sawtan we broke down the writing of the record into three parts, as opposed to one straight go in the studio like Aykathani Malakon. So there was more time to reflect on the music. That was a major part of how we wanted to compose. We did a small writing residency in Beirut, then a full fledged writing residency in Byblos where we recorded some of the music that eventually made the cut on the record, and at the end of a full fledged recording residency in Paris the album actually took shape. But the creative process for SANAM on a daily basis is very simple: good food, meaningful time, strong focus.
OS: How do you feel that you have evolved as a group since your debut album, “Aykathani Malakon” in 2023?
AS: As a group we became a family. It’s not only the recordings that funnel into the collective, there’s also all the touring in between and all the experiences shared.
OS: Some tracks on this album have been compared to Sonic Youth and Radiohead. Do you agree with these comparisons? Are there any other specific artists who have influenced your work?
AS: Honestly, this is the first time I hear comparisons to Sonic Youth! But we’re flattered and we’re all big fans of the group and of their individual efforts in their side projects.
OS: Lyrically, your songs highlight Arabic folklore, poetry and songs. Can you elaborate on the choice to use these influences and what it means to you?
AS: The choice of which poem is not something easy to explain as it happens in the moment. But Sandy’s work always involves re-interpretations of already written texts mixed with her own writings. This collage of sorts allows us to have a wide lens view on our culture.
OS: Do you have any new projects in the works? What can fans of Sanam look forward to?
AS: For SANAM specifically we’re still relishing Sametou Sawtan but some new ideas for the group are always in the works. For the side projects, as SANAM has many branches, Sandy’s working with me on her solo album. Farah just released a record with her trio, Tilt. Marwan and Farah released a duo album, Ghazel earlier this year and Postcards released an album prior to that called Ripe.
excellent! I look forward to hearing their music!