Acid Arab

Acid Arab is a Paris-based electronic group active since 2012. Its core membership is Nicolas Borne, Hervé Carvalho, Pierre-Yves Casanova and Guido Cesarsky. The group is associated with acid house, club music, dabke, electronic, house and techno.

Style and approach

Acid Arab works by combining electronic dance music with sounds and structures drawn from Eastern traditions, particularly from North Africa, Lebanon, Egypt, Turkey and Mumbai. Its stated approach is to use the language of acid house and techno alongside Arabic and related musical forms, with an emphasis on rhythmic complexity and dancefloor energy. The group describes its music as a meeting of techno’s starkness and the emotional intensity of the East, rather than a simple overlay of one style on top of another.

Formation and early activity

The project grows out of the shared work of DJs Guido Minisky and Hervé Carvalho, who are long-time Paris DJs and residents at the club Chez Moune. A trip to Tunisia with DJ Gilb’R helps shape the group’s direction and its interest in Eastern music. The name also appears in the project’s early studio work, with Sex Schön involved in recording sessions.

Releases and collaborators

Acid Arab’s early releases appear on Gilb’R’s Versatile Records, including the Acid Arab Collections series. These recordings involve a wide circle of collaborators and remixes. Contributors include the French producer I:Cube, who makes his own version of an Arabic acid track; Omar Souleyman, whose song Shift Al Mani is remixed by Crackboy; and the live session recorded with Turzi, Judah Warsky and oud player Adnan Mohamed, who has played traditional oud in Kurdistan and France.

Reception and support

The group’s track Theme gains support from Gilles Peterson, Lovefingers, TLR, Skudge, Tim Sweeney and Radio Nova in Paris. The project also works under the alias Boyz In The Oud for Cosmique Arabe, a release built from a live studio session and mixed by DJ Gilb’R.

Labels and wider context

Acid Arab is linked in its early work to Versatile Records, and its verified label credit is Acid Arab Records. The group’s output sits within the overlap of club music, techno and dabke, with an emphasis on Arabic and other Eastern musical codes adapted for contemporary electronic production.