Arabian Fuzz & Revolutionary Poetry | Thomas Attar from Al-Qasar Band

Thomas Attar of Al-Qasar Band joins The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi Podcast ahead of their performance at the Tamaas Festival on January 29th. Attar strives to make music that reflects the complexity of modern, multicultural, and transnational identities. Growing up in Paris before moving to the US, he shares the origins of Al-Qasar, a collaborative project that was an intentional response to a "white rock scene" that felt disconnected from everyday life, aspiring to make music with a deeper connection to the human experience. He discusses the term "Arabian fuzz," which he uses to describe the band's sound. He credits his early musical influences, such as The Beach Boys and 70s Arab rock bands like those on the album Hard Rock from the Middle East, for training his ear to accept later Arab sounds. The conversation touches on the issue of the term "World Music" as a marketing term. Al-Qasar is performing at The Arts Center as part of the Tamaas Festival on January 29. Get your tickets 👉 https://publicprograms.nyuad.nyu.edu/en/the-arts-center/events/2026/january/tamaas-festival.html   0:00 Introduction: The Genesis of Al-Qasar: Revolutionary Poetry and Psych Rock 1:59 Early Musical Influences 4:24 Growing Up in Multicultural Paris 7:20 The Disconnect of the "White Rock Scene" 12:34 Making Revolutionary Music in a World of Social Ruptures 12:41 Al-Qasar's Collaborative and Global Sound 15:33 Defining "Arabian Fuzz" 17:21 The 70s Arab Psychedelic Rock Scene 21:09 Rejecting "World Music" and "Fusion" As Terms 24:06 Al-Qasar's Diverse Audience and Outreach 26:24 The Analog Production Approach 32:52 The Art of the Cover Song 36:09 Dream Collaborators 38:31 The Challenge of Making Revolutionary Music 41:26 Navigating Censorship and Self-Censorship for MENA Artists 44:14 Abu Dhabi Show Details   A French-American producer, Thomas has been involved in about 40 releases, performed on five continents, and composed for TV & film. His recent collaborations with Sudanese-American innovator Alsarah and Malian legends Cheick Tidiane Seck and Mamani Keita push the limits of the culture while being deeply embedded in groove and tradition. On BBC6, Iggy Pop called his song with Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) “Pretty bitching”. His involvement with North African artists Dina El Wedidi and Emel Mathlouthi is a testament to this very personal approach. In 2025/2026, Attar is adding his touch to the albums of two significant Mozambican artists, Stewart Sukuma and Selma Uamusse, both of whom he is recording and producing between Maputo and Lisbon. Among other projects, Thomas leads Arabian Fuzz psych rock outfit Al-Qasar (Glitterbeat/Wewantsounds), an explosive mix of North African trance music, heavy Middle Eastern grooves and Western psychedelia (the collective notably featured members of Tinariwen). Receiving high praise from the music press (BBC6, Uncut Magazine, Wire), Al-Qasar has toured North America, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, with notable appearances at Sziget, Pukkelpop, Lowlands, WOMADs, Mawazine, Paléo, and TransMusicales. On the second of two Egypt tours, Thomas collaborated with musicians of the zar tradition, an ancient healing ritual achieved through hypnotic drumming and mystical trance.  Connect with Thomas Attar 👉 https://instagram.com/thomasattar   Hosted by Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://instagram.com/mikey_mu   Theme music: Peninsular, Tarek Yamani 🔊  https://spoti.fi/47I59ns Hosted by: Mikey Muhanna 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mikey_muFOLLOW & RATE THE NYUAD ARTS CENTER PODCAST:» Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-arts-center-at-nyu-abu-dhabi-podcast-powered-by-afikra/id1707014540» Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0bnc6jhwbSGKZyEI6LBuAu?si=4359dabaa57b4e83» Anghami: https://open.anghami.com/uApM34ABKMbTHIS SERIES IS PART OF THE AFIKRA PODCAST NETWORK Explore all episodes in this series: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfYG40bwRKl63W_KIMC2HWDoyqRi-2fzN&feature=sharedABOUT AFIKRAafikra | عفكرة is a movement to convert passive interest in the Arab world to active intellectual curiosity. We aim to collectively reframe the dominant narrative of the region by exploring the histories and cultures of the region – past, present and future – through conversations driven by curiosity.📍 Local events in 40+ locations worldwide http://afikra.com/chapters🎧 New podcasts + videos weekly http://afikra.com/podcasts⚡ Become a member: https://www.afikra.com/membership🔗 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afikra_🔗 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afikra.official🔗 Twitter: https://twitter.com/afikra Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.