DJ MUTAMASSIK
Hi guys! This is Boby and here is my Artist research on an Egyptian-American artist, Guilia Loli who is also known as DJ Mutamassik.
Photo by Geoff Albores
She found her DJ name in an Arabic language book - The word Mutamassik “means many things...” She said, but “mostly “stronghold” as in someone who hangs on firmly to their beliefs”...
Reading through her chapter, I couldn’t believe how many instruments she plays, the breadth of musical interest she has. She started playing piano, sax, violin, in her early childhood. She became big fans of hip-hop until she was twelve then got immersed into loving punk rock. Meanwhile, she was into classical European music (especially baroque music she mentioned) and played cello and drums for some punk rock/experimental bands. And from kindergarten to ninth grade, she was always in various choirs singing the usual repertoire of Latin hymns, English madrigals, pop tunes, etc. In college, she worked in the music resource center and played music to people. She would make loops from tape to tape of parts of the songs that she likes. Meantime, she started digging into cassettes of Egyptian folk music, continued playing music in bands, and went on her friend’s musical radio shows. It was after she moved to New York in 1995 when she started her DJ carrier and gave her self the name DJ Mutamassik.
She started off strictly sampling from vinyl and cassette for her music to exalt the old crusty Egyptian tapes and remix them with hip-hop beats to draw the musical dots clearly. Her intention was to search for her cultural roots. She mentioned, “growing up in Ohio... I never learned about the vastness and depth of African civilization, only the humiliation, and savagery - (which is) truly scandalous” Perhaps that's why Egyptian and African elements in her works are so apparent (even though the major music influence throughout her childhood was not Egyptian or African). Later on, she began to sample herself playing different instruments such as cello, percussion, guitar, bass, drums, etc.
Photo from High Alert: Interlude for Grampa [Vinyl]
She is also a sound collector. She collects worldly sounds that are meaningful to her and makes music out of them. Some significant features of her work are the layered mixes and diverse sounds. From her work, I can hear the creative clash of Egyptian folk beat and hip hop.
In an interview she had with META MUSIC, she mentioned the major influencer in her life is Sun Ra, an American jazz and experimental music composer, and The Dead Kennedys, an American punk rock band. As I listen to their works and went back to her work, I can somehow sense elements of punk rock influence in the composition of the drums, electric guitar, and bass and jazz elements in the keyboard lines.
Initially, I was going to research another artist, but when I flipped through the book once more, I came across her chapter and noticed her. I searched her up on youtube and REALLY liked her works. I think for me what caught my eyes (ears) was the uncertainty of how to categorize her work. Her works are very rhythmic and most of them have a hard syncopated beat where I can jam to. At the same time, there are elements in her work that made it distinct to conventional music. I think her works are experimental, yet musical. And this is what made her work eye-popping for me. Here are some of her works! Hope you will enjoy them!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzusAY4kO9Q - Omani Revolutionary Army - A'aish El Shaab (Ragamuffin Mix)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIOs_ARBZ4g - "Shaky Knees" (1999) متمسك
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWCnNTu8POQ - Mutamassik "Dr. Aida" متمسك