Azu Tiwaline & Defasten – Live at MIRA 2021

Azu Tiwaline translates the enveloping silence of the desert into atmospheric washes of polyrhythmic dub and techno, combining elements of Tunisian ritual trance music associated with stambali, a group healing rite of chanting and dance, with dense electronics. The artist’s moniker can be translated from Berber as “eyes of the wind,” an image that speaks to the organic textures of her sound, a sonic exploration of her roots in the Tunisian Sahara. When digital artist Patrick Doan, aka Defasten, was brought together with the producer for the 2021 edition of Barcelona’s foremost digital arts festival, MIRA, it was the rich history and invocation of space within Azu Tiwaline’s sound that he felt most drawn to. “I settled on a visual language derived from talismans – timeless objects of religious and magical power of infinite designs that protect, heal or can cause harm to targeted individuals,” explains Defasten. “Another prominent visual feature is the inclusion of geometric symbols or icons that embody