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. Kel Tinariwen features songs from Abdallah Ag Alhousseyni, Hassan Ag Touhami aka ‘Abin Abin’, Kedou Ag Ossad, Liya Ag Ablil aka ‘Diarra’ and Keltoum Sennhauser. Also released on the same date, Craft Recordings are reissuing Aman Iman and Imidiwan: Companions - Tinariwen’s 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”.
