Next week, DFA will release Mean Love, the new full-length from soulful multi-instrumentalist Ahmed Gallab bka Sinkane. Gallab—who was born in Sudan, raised in the Western USA, and currently resides in Brooklyn—made us a mix that's as all over the map as he is, darting from heart-swelling electro to vintage funk to, like, a track from Dan Snaith's dance-focused Daphni alias (Gallab has previously played drums in Caribou's live band, actually). In all, it's an easygoing and vaguely offbeat hour of music, just the way we we like it. Stream it below, download over at our SoundCloud, and then read a quick interview with Gallab about Malcom Gladwell books and the influence of Sudanese culture on his music.
Where are you right now? Describe your surroundings. I'm at Pukklepop Festival in Belgium. It's overcast and a bit chili. My dressing room is very elegant looking. They gave us a bunch of 45s but there isn't a record player anywhere!
What vibe were you going for with your FADER Mix? I wanted to make a colorful dance mix. Something astral and tropical sounding that you could listen to at the beach on Mars in the summertime.
Who are your soul music heroes and why? D'angelo, Erykah Badu. They continually take risks and have made the best records in the past 15 yrs. Voodoo and New Amerykah Pt. 1 (4th World War) are modern day classics.
What's the one thing—musical or otherwise—you couldn't have made your new album, Mean Love, without? The support of my family and friends.
One of Mean Love's tracks is named after the Sudanese city Omdurman. How does Sudanese music shape your sound? It's a part of me. It feels normal when I write something with any Sudanese influence. The more honest I am with my music the more the Sudanese influence shows.
What's the last book you read that had a big impact on you and how? I like Malcolm Gladwell's books a lot. His latest, "David and Goliath" talks about how hardship and tough situations can actually bring the best out of a person. It seems seems so obvious, doesn't it? Well it is, and his examples are fun to read about.
What's your favorite dish to cook and how do you make it? I recently made a great shrimp roll. I purchased fresh shrimp, peeled and de-veined them and cooked them with butter. The sauce I made with mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, cornishons, cornishon brine, celery, tarragon, paprika and chives. It's very delicious.
Tracklist:
- Ralph MacDonald - Calypso Path (Softrio Edit)
- Daphni - Pairs
- Bappi Lahiri & Salma Agha - Jeena Bhi Kya Hai Jeena
- The Dells - No Way Back (Ron Hardy Edit)
- Magic Bird of Fire (Fireurd Suite) [Water Gibbons Madness Mix]
- Kikrokos - Life’s A Jungle (Ron Hardy Edit)
- Moodymann - Come 2 Me
- Disco La Calle (Nick The Record Edit)
- Cerrone - Love in C Minor
- Let No Man Put Asunder (Ron Hardy re-edit)
- Bok Bok & Tom Trago - ‘Lil Ma Bonus Beat
- Cheryl Lynn - Got To Be Real
