Almost everything in life is a journey that starts at one place…takes you through many colors of the emotional spectrum…and at the very end of that journey, you arrive at a point in space and time, however…the story is always in the journey, not the destination…
Shimee, an artist from Cairo, Egypt tried to capture this journey and the emotions that runs throughout its course through his latest album/EP release “Cairo – Alexandria Desert Road”.
The album title is the name of the only road that takes you between two of the biggest cities in Egypt…Cairo, the capitol and the coastal city of Alexandria, the old capitol at one point in history…
Shimee is an established musician in Egypt, he plays as a pianist in the band “Ghyoum” but he’s also a guitarist, utilizing the guitars powers and focusing it into the post-rock world, which is one of his driving passions.
Shimee has a big circle of friends in Alexandria…and that is why he was going to and from Alexandria…and one time, he thought to himself about recording this journey in the form of music…that happened and so the 4 track album/EP “Cairo – Alexandria Desert Road” was born.
The album/EP has a very unusual and creative track naming…the tracks are titled as per the distance at that point in time into this journey…
So, we start with the first track, “126 KM”…
With a synth intro and piano notes intertwining with the synths, the album sets the tone…the sound is of a journey, as the title of the album/EP suggests…
Going into the second track “145 KM”, we’re greeted with an ambient post rock intro…then the drums tag along…and the guitars start to melodize the atmosphere…the driving drum beats are superb while the guitar throws the melody every now and then, giving breathing room for the audience…and the amount of richness in the background sounds and music is absolutely stunning…it sounds full and rich…the lead guitar takes it from there and flys with it.
Jumping from this one and into the third track “180 KM”…we maintain the emotional energy of a great post-rock intro…until the breakdown…with heavy guitars entering the scene, blasting away the ambient doors…further into the track, a lead synth emerges…and takes the track almost to the end…until the lead guitar takes the helm, and takes us home.
We find ourselves at the fourth and final track of the album/EP “200 KM”…
A synth ambient post rock ballad…taking us to the end of the journey…
The unique sound of the theremin is highlighted in this track…
…for the first half, this track maintains this ambient approach…till we get near the end, things start to get a little bit trippy…
Guitars singing, synths singing, drums singing its heart out…and the journey ends on a high note.
It’s an album/EP worth listening to for all ambient and post rock enthusiasts, you should give it a go…now.
Shimee, we wish you all the best in life, can’t wait to hear what you’ll come up with next.
Cheers!
