Tinariwen release a series of catalogue projects - Kel Tinariwen, Aman Iman & Imidiwan: Companions

04.11.2022

Today, Tinariwen release a selection of very special catalogue projects. New rarities album Kel Tinariwen and vinyl reissues of Independiente era albums Aman Iman & Imidiwan: Companions - all available to buy now. There's also a Record Store exclusive bundle of all three vinyl, and comes with a signed print. All orders of Kel Tinariwen from the band's official store and Bandcamp come with a signed print too.

A revelatory discovery in the Tinariwen archives, Kel Tinariwen is an early cassette tape recorded in the early 90s that never received a wider release, and sheds new light on the band's already rich history. Not having yet developed the fuller band sound that they became internationally established with, Kel Tinariwen features their trademark hypnotic guitar lines and call-and-response vocals weaving in between raw drum machine rhythms and keyboard melodies that almost evoke an Arabic take on 80s synth-pop. There's distinct parallels with the sounds found on this tape and the work uncovered in recent years by cratedigger labels such as Awesome Tapes From Africa, Sahel Sounds and Sublime Frequencies.

Aman Iman and Imidiwan: Companions are their third and fourth studio albums respectively. A blend of West African traditional music and electrified rock’n’roll – a sound that critics have called “desert blues”.

Arghane Manine