Young tastemaker Salem Rashid heads Bedouin Records, one of the most exciting new electronic music labels out. Along with its sister label, Bastakiya, Bedouin releases music of the uncanny, collecting influences from genres as diverse as industrial, doom, drone, dark ambient, and Detroit techno. Or as Rashid puts it: “We release ‘left-of-center’ electronic music that combines elements of roots techno and electro.”
Most incredibly, it’s all based out of Dubai. “Funny enough, I didn’t even realize that we were a ‘made in UAE’ record label until we started getting press. Bedouin’s very international,” Rashid said.
Indeed, Bedouin Records’ release roster includes artists like “Ryo Murakami” from Japan and “Ekman” from the Netherlands, as well as other musicians from far-flung locales around the world.
“‘Bedouin’ literally means person who belongs nowhere, a nomad. I feel like my label and personal background come from a similar place,” Rashid said.
Interestingly, every Bedouin Records release is vinyl-only with each record printed in a hyper-limited edition of 300. “With vinyl I can control the distribution better. I think a vinyl audience listens harder and more closely than someone who only buys MP3s,” Rashid told Tempo.
Barely a year old, Bedouin Records is making inroads into the fashion industry, too. If you’re lucky, you still might be able to find a t-shirt from their collaboration with cult Australian clothing brand P.A.M.
Over the next year, Rashid plans to put out out more vinyl records and one mixtape. We’re especially excited to see what future clothing projects Rashid has in store, which Bedouin assures us is forthcoming.
http://bedouinrecords.com/
By Christopher Joshua Benton | Instagram: @maxfirepower
