Fera is a wild and adventurous new work that Egyptian artist Maurice Louca wrote over a four-year period. It was performed live at Le Guess Who? 2024 together with Ayman Asfour as part of Chromesthesia, curated by Hannah Elsisi. Below, you can watch Barĩy from the captivating performance and listen to the full audio of the show.
Taking its title from the Latin root for the word feral, Fera, released via Simsara Records, has its origins in a solo set that Louca first developed for a music festival in Italy in 2019. The compositions eventually took their final shape when he recorded them in a Cairo studio in 2024 with a group of longtime collaborators and guests.
Hypnotic polyrhythms play a central role on the album, creating the pulse for a sound that’s rich in acoustic tonality and lively energy. Louca uses custom-made, microtonal guitars to explore nuanced phrasings, and his languid interplay with violin, synthesizer, and other instruments lead to moments of vivid beauty.
Le Guess Who? Recordings
The publication of this recording is part of Le Guess Who?’s ongoing expansion of the festival’s recordings archive, with 120+ recordings from past editions now freely available online.
This archive contains audio and/or video recordings of performances by Kim Gordon, Mabe Fratti feat. Shards, Wu-Lu, Meshell Ndegeocello, Kamilya Jubran, Alan Sparhawk, Stereolab, Tom Skinner, Selda Bağcan, clipping., Aldous Harding, Deerhunter, Art Ensemble of Chicago, The Microphones, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Lightning Bolt, Neneh Cherry, Arooj Aftab, Beverly Glenn-Copeland, and many more.
Captured at TivoliVredenburg's Grote Zaal on Saturday, 9 November 2024.
Maurice Louca (composition, guitars, synths, electronics)
Ayman Asfour (violin)
Creative Production & Management: Sarah El Miniawy (Simsara Music)
Choreography: Natisa Exocé Kasongo
Dancers: Natisa Exocé Kasongo, Dave Olupot, Koko Yeji Boanyah
Live visuals: STUDIO GKZ, GAIKA TAVARES, HENRY HOWE
Camera: Pablo Rojo, Kwesi Emmanuel Keploh Forson & Francisco Baquerizo-Racines
Editing: Mohamed A. Gawad
Audio recording: Vera Kraaijkamp
Audio mixing: Marc Broer
Photography: Jelmer de Haas
