Photo: Flavien Prioreau (Acid Arab / Guido Minisky, Hervé Carvalho)
Acid Arab was, in the beginning, not much more than the motto for parties organised by Guido Minisky and Hervé Carvalho. The DJ duo had just come back from a trip to Tunesia during which they got acquainted with Versatile founder Gilb’R and his Chateau Flight partner-in-crime I:Cube. They returned with a love for Arabian music and after hosting a slew of events, took things to another level by releasing their first productions through Versatile. Acid Arab’s debut album Musique de France is a statement in more than one way: The project, which now includes several other members, claims to capture the sound of young France. For that, they have invited countless musicians like A-Wel, Jaouad El Garouge, Rachid Taha and Sofiane Saidi into their studio. For our Groove podcast, Minisky recorded one of his sets under the Acid Arab moniker and of course, answered some questions for us.
Your contribution to our Groove podcast was recorded live at Grand Coeff Festival near Bordeaux. Why did you choose a DJ set which was recorded live instead of making a mix in the studio?
We don’t have a studio to record mixes.
You have also asked us not to reveal the full tracklist and instead gave a few names: James Darle, Kesarine, Mulatu Astatqé, Point G, Rainforest, Ramy BlaZin, Richard Rossa, Sampul X Hekmah, Uness Bass, Vince Moogin and Acid Arab yourselves. Why do you prefer not to disclose the whole thing?
It’s funnier… isn’t it? It gives the listener the opportunity to have fun searching tracks’ IDs while listening.
In a Groove interview, a DJ mentioned that you play your signature blend of Arabian wedding music and Techno also when you play in the Middle East. How is that being received by the crowd and what would you say are the differences between the crowds in the West and the East?
To this day, luckily, we always had nice reception from audiences, wherever in the world we were. It may appear warmer when we’re in North Africa or Middle East, but maybe our reality is altered by excitement.
At Grand Coeff, it was Guido Minisky behind the decks. Acid Arab started out as two people, with currently four people active under this name. How would you characterize the project, what exactly is Acid Arab?
We’re a collective, even if we’re mostly known as a duet. We’ve talked a lot about Pierrot, Nicolas and Kenzy. But in our group, we also have Taissa, Marine, Jeremy and more…
Also for Musique de France, you have collaborated extensively with a variety of artists, most of whom specialize in specific regional styles. Why was it so important to you to bring those people in your studio?
They brought to our album all the singing we could not provide, and some instruments we couldn’t have played like they did.
Last but not least: When can we see you behind the decks in the forthcoming weeks?
A lot less than before, cause we’re touring a lot as a live band in the forthcoming months.
Stream: Acid Arab – Groove Podcast 78
