Skeletons Released Their Debut Album

The Egyptian psychedelic indie fusion group, Skeletons, released their debut album '5amsa' on Thursday, July 16th, 2020 which is an attempt to create an 'Arabic Pink Floyd.’

The idea hit Omar Ashour (band founder) about a year ago when he was talking to a friend and telling him that he wanted to “create something resembling Arabic Pink Floyd.” That was after recording his first single 'This Process' which is the last tune in the album.

For Ashour, answering the question of how to orientalize Pink Floyd’s music was a bit of a challenge: “So, how do you make an “Arabic Pink Floyd,” you ask? I really had no idea. Honestly, much of this came out of discipline. It was setting a big goal, which was “I want to have a full-length album of so-and-so tracks in about a year from now,” and many smaller goals along the way. In other words, I wasn't waiting for my muse to bless me with her song and I didn't go up in the mountains to meditate awaiting answers. A lot of it was actually just a matter of work. It was taking hardly-formed ideas and working them out by experimenting and filtering. I would start on certain paths, abandon them, and turn to new ones.”

Listen to '5amsa' through here.

'5amsa' witnessed many collaborations starting with Amr El-Zanaty (percussions/music producer), Amr Hefny (sound engineer/music producer) in the production process, and numerous session-musicians who participated in the recording process with many instruments like Qanun, Trumpet, Nay, Keyboards, and other instruments.

The core members of the album are Omar Ashour (lead vocals, multi-instrumentalist, and music producer), Fatima Waleed (lead vocals), Amr el-Zanaty (percussions), and Tamer Essam (drums). And there were remarkable contributions of Adel el-Iskandarani (Nay), Mahmoud Essam (Bass), Abdel Hady and Wael Saad (Trumpet), Toqa el-Hagrasi (Qanun), and Gammal Mossad Mostafa (Strings).

Since music perception is relative from someone to another, Ashour preferred to leave it to everyone's interpretation: "In terms of the concept, well, I suggest listening to it and formulating your own opinion. Dig your own reflection, if you will. I like to keep mine to myself. It really could be about anything. That's the loveliest thing about what we do as musicians and artists. In essence, we're alchemists. Magicians. Medicine wo/men. Think of your favourite songs, albums, or any piece of art. You may have had one reaction when you first encountered the work. Then, when you came back to it, you began seeing it in a different light. Perhaps, it’s because you yourself have changed. That's a special connection. It is beyond words."