Toni Geitani's 'Wahj' (Radiance): Arabic Maqam Meets Granular Electronics

Composer and sound designer Toni Geitani, who hails from Beirut and operates at the intersection of performance and visual arts, is presenting his sophomore album, titled “Wahj.” This extensive project spans 17 tracks and clocks in at approximately 75 minutes. Within this sonic tapestry, Geitani weaves together layali-style vocalizations, deeply reverberant percussion, and analog synthesizers to construct a truly cinematic soundscape.

The core essence of “Wahj” revolves around a compelling dialogue between the ancient and the futuristic. The traditional Arabic maqam system, with its characteristic microtonal and gliding melodies, is not merely referenced or quoted; instead, it is fundamentally integrated into the very fabric of the electronic material. This is far beyond a simple pairing of ethnic sounds with a beat. It conveys the feeling that tradition has been passed through a sonic laboratory, emerging transformed as a novel form of collective memory.

Sonic Evidence of Transformation

The album opens powerfully with “Hal,” where the interplay between cello and voice acts like a slender thread of light gradually stretching the surrounding auditory space. This initial delicacy sets the stage for the intensity to follow.

Subsequent tracks plunge the listener into sudden drops in density. Pieces like “Ya Sah” and “La” deliver crushing weight, characterized by thunderous impact and oppressive darkness. This intensity then pivots toward blast-energy and industrial overload, reminiscent of heavily distorted techno aesthetics.

A significant turning point in the album’s structure is found in “Ruwaydan Ruwaydan.” Here, a rhythm reminiscent of jazz swing abruptly shifts its cadence, allowing the sound of the nay flute to slice through the established texture like a sharp beam of light.

The concluding track, “Madda Mudadda,” marks a departure from tranquility into a state of chaotic static and whispering sounds. It suggests that true beauty can be uncovered precisely within what might otherwise be perceived as destructive noise.

Global Impact of This Auditory Event

This new release contributes significantly to the growing movement of diasporic Arab electronic experimentalism. This scene is characterized by the fusion of the maqam tradition with granular textures and the metallic drama of percussion programming. From this synthesis, a fresh, globalized musical stage is emerging, moving beyond niche or purely local categorization.

Geitani’s distinct voice and sonic material inject a specific frequency into the world’s soundscape: that of quiet radiance. It is the precise moment where the deep memory of antiquity and the relentless pulse of the future converge within a single, shared breath.