Acid Arab

Acid Arab is a French electronic music project formed in Paris in 2012 by DJs Guido Minisky and Hervé Carvalho. Their guiding idea was to build a bridge between contemporary club music and the musical traditions of North Africa and the Middle East, an approach shaped by years of encounters with artists from across that transcultural landscape. Rather than layering orientalist samples over standard techno, the duo sought a genuinely collaborative sound, working closely with musicians such as Algerian keyboardist Kenzi Bourras, as well as Pierrot Casanova and Nicolas Borne, who joined for studio and live work.

The project first took shape through a series of «Collections» EPs released on the Versatile label, compiling collaborations, remixes and tracks by guest artists from the wider Arab and Mediterranean electronic scene. This groundwork established Acid Arab as a platform as much as a band, before the core members moved toward writing fully original material together.

Their debut album, «Musique de France», appeared on Crammed Discs, a label known for championing cross-cultural musical experimentation. The record distilled the group's approach: hypnotic acid-tinged rhythms fused with darbouka patterns, modal melodies and vocal traditions from across the region, built from genuine musical dialogue rather than pastiche. Tracks such as «Stil», «Gul l'Abi» and «La Hafla» reflect this blend of dancefloor energy and regional musical identity, cementing Acid Arab's reputation as a distinctive voice at the intersection of European club culture and Arab musical heritage.