Polylog - بوليلوج

by Yousef Kekhia

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Deluxe Limited Edition of Polylog. Additionally to the album it contains a sixteen page full color booklet with individual artworks for all tracks by Adnan Samman and translated lyrics.

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1.	El Beyt - البيت 03:53	lyrics	buy track
البيت: رح تجي الشمس و نروح عالبيت El Beyt (the home): The sun will rise and we will go home
2.	Lan Ansa - لن انسا 06:03	lyrics	buy track
لن أنسا فَقدتُ نفسي، حُبَاً بالروحْ غَسلتُ عَقلي، بِماءِ الحُبْ وَهَبْتُ جَسدي، ذاكَ المذبوحْ وَجدتُ روحي، بِحالةِ عِشقْ عيناكِ، كالخمرِ يفوح أسْكَرني لِآخرِ العُمرْ أنتِ رُوحي، و أنا الروحْ خُذِي جَسديْ، رِهانُ الكُفرْ حتى عندما يضيع الطريق حتى عندما اضيع انا حتى عندما اصير فقير حتى عندما انسا الغُنا حتى إن نسيتيني حتى إن توقف القلب حتى عندما تتركيني حتى إن لم يبقى حب لن أنسا.....لن أنسا لن أنسا.....لن أنسا حتى عندما تفنى الأرض حتى عندما يفوز الشر حتى عندما يثور البحر حتى عندما يصبح برد حتى إن لم تشرق الشمس حتى إن لم يحدث الحلم حتى إن تجاهلنا اللمس حتى إن لم نستطع الرقص لن أنسا.....لن أنسا لن أنسا.....لن أنسا Lan Ansa (I won’t forget): I lost my self, loved by the soul I washed my mind, with love's water I gave up my body, the slaughtered one I found my soul, full of love Your eyes, like alcohol spreading Got me drunk, until the end of time You are my soul, and I am the soul Take my body, as mortgage of sin Even when the way is lost Even when I am lost Even when I become poor Even when we forget the songs Even if you forget me Even if the heart stops Even when you leave me Even if there is no love left I won't forget, I won't forget I won't forget, I won't forget Even when the earth perishes Even when evil wins Even when the sea rebels Even when it becomes cold Even if the sun doesn't rise Even if the dream doesn’t happen Even if we avoid to touch Even if we couldn't dance I won't forget, I won't forget I won't forget, I won't forget
3.	Al Rabta - الربطة 05:03	lyrics	buy track
الربطة من وين طلعتي ووقفتيلي الكون من دون اذني عقلي قرر يصوم وتضرب الشمس بنص الليل عالكرسي الحاوينا ويسحبوا الاولاد الرمل الاخضر من تحت اجرينا ونأكل الفلافل وينشعل بالقلب حروب ويكتب الطير موسيقته مشان ما نقول نسينا ونروح عالكوخ الاخضر الشاعلة نارو فينا و لك و ننسا....انو البلد محروق عم خون فني وانا بكتب باللون من دون وعيي رجع انعاد الكون عم تركض الغيوم لتفضي السما من السواد اللي فينا مثل اللوحة السودا بتطرشها ألوان لتعيدها وتنسي الربطة لتمنعني من الهروب ويخلص الضحك مسرحيته قبل ما نفهم معانيها ويمرق الوقت لننام ونحن مغمى علينا و لك و ننسا....انو الوطن مخنوق Al Rabta: (The Hair-tie) From where did you appear and stopped the universe? Without my permission my mind decided to fast And the sun hits the chair that cradles us in the middle of the night While the children pull the green sand from beneath our feet Then we eat the Falafel while wars ignite in our heart And the bird writes his music so we can’t say we forgot We go to the green house which burns its fire within us And oh, how we forget... that the country is burned ............. I’m betraying my art when I write with colours Without my notice the world restarted The clouds are running to clear up the sky from the darkness within us Like a black painting you splash it with colours so you can repaint it And you forget the tie to stop me from running away While the laughter ends its theatrical play before we understand its meaning And the time fly by until we sleep, fainting And oh, how we forget... that home is throttled
4.	Bedi Ebhor - بدي ابحر 03:58	lyrics	buy track
بدي أبحر بدي أبحر بعيد محل ما البحر فاضي والأقنعة عم بتطير محل الانسان مو منسي بدي أبحر بعيد بهالقارب الخشبي بلكي بشوفك هنيك بجرب سمعك صوتي بدي أبحر بعيد صوب القمر والنجمة عند الامير الصغير محل ما اناكألت الوردة والالوان عم بتصيح ليتفيقني من الفرشة وما ارجع فيق وما أبحر ولا نتفة Bedi Ebhor: (I Want to Sail Away) I want to sail away Where the sea is empty Masks are flying off of faces Where humans are forgotten I want to sail away Within this wooden boat Maybe I’ll see you there Try to show you my voice I want to sail away Towards the moon and the star Towards the little prince Where the rose was eaten While the colours scream To wake me up from my dream But I never wake up And I don’t sail at all I don’t sail at all I don’t sail at all
5.	A'l Amar - عالقمر 03:43	lyrics	buy track
عالقمر عالقمر عم يزحف عقلي تعبان وضوو مخفي فوق البيت اللحفرتو بقلبي مع الايام رح لفك وابكي بس هلق عندي رحلة عارض صحرا وكلها عتمة بدي اخدك معي ومارحتي لما الزمن وقف عتمي رح تصوم يا طير قتلوا كل الخير حجبوا شمس البيت لا تروح متل الطير شفت صورتك وأنتي طفلة وقت الشمس عاشرت النبتة من وقتها ردتي تكتبي بشوية تراب ومستقبل أنسوي بترابي حملت افكاري والصور اللي انحرقت بروحي ومشيت عم دور عأسمي عأرض صحرا و كلها عتمة رح تصوم يا طير قتلوا كل الخير حجبوا شمس البيت لا تروح متل الطير A’al Amar: (On the Moon) On the moon my mind is crawling Tired and his light is hidden Upon home that I crafted in my heart With time I will hug you and cry But now I have a trip To a desert land full of darkness Wanted to take you but you didn’t come When time stopped at our lips You will fast, oh bird They killed all the good They blocked the sun of our home Don’t leave like every bird I saw your picture when you were a child When the sun made love to the plant Since then you wanted to write With some soil and a feminist future With my earth i carried my thoughts And the images that burned in my soul I walked searching for my name In the desert land full of darkness You will fast, oh bird They killed all the good They blocked the sun of our home Don’t leave like every bird
6.	Al Fajer Al Kazeb - الفجر الكاذب 06:04	lyrics	buy track
الفجر الكاذب ما تقلي اسمها خسارة ما تقلي كانت حكاية لما عقلك بمشي بتشوف بقلبك النهاية من بعدها مافي ثورة من بعدها مافي رواية وبخوفك بتتني صفحة على امل بايخ بتشرق الشمس عالجلد بتغرب مع القمر على الروح لا تنسي أحلامنا الحرة لا تنسي وعودنا الكذابة لما الزمن ما بيمشي مننزف بقلبنا النهاية من بعده خسرنا الرفقة من بعده مافي حكاية بخوفك بتشعل شمعة شمع الفجر الكاذب بتشرق الشمس عالجلد بتغرب مع القمر على الروح على الروح على الروح على الروح…… Al Fajer al Kazeb: (The False Twilight) don't tell me it's a loss don't tell me it was a story When your mind walks away you see the end with your heart After her there is no revolution After her there is no fairy-tale And with fear you turn the page based on a silly hope The sun rises on the skin Then it sets with the moon on the soul Don’t forget our free dreams Don’t forget our false promises When time stops moving We bleed the end in our heart After him we lost our friendship After him there is no fairy-tale And with fear you light up a candle the candle of the false twilight The sun rises on the skin Then it sets with the moon on the soul
7.	Sar Al Waet - صار الوقت 05:28	lyrics	buy track
صار الوقت تعبانة الايدين اللي حملتني لفوق صار الوقت صار الوقت عم نخلص بقلبين مثل شعور الموت صار الوقت صار الوقت خليني روح من عند البحر خليني روح لعند البحر أنا طير بجناحين بس بخاف الموج وقفي الوقت وقفي الوقت نيمت الفرخين وقطعت الصوت وقفي الصوت وقفي الصوت خليني روح من عند البحر خليني روح لعند البحر Sar al Waet: (It Is the Time) Tired are the hands That lifted me up It is the time It is the time We are ending with two hearts Like the feeling of death It is the time It is the time Let me go From the sea Let me go To the sea I'm a bird with two wings But afraid of the waves Stop the time Stop the time I put the hatchlings to sleep And cut the sound Stop the sound Stop the sound Let me go From the sea Let me go To the sea
8.	Al Fajer Al Kazeb (Kalipo Remix) 06:47	info	buy track

about

Two years after “Monologue”, Berlin-based musician Yousef Kekhia is releasing his sophomore record “Polylog”, a fitting successor to his moving debut. While “Monologue” appeared as a hypnotic soliloquy, impressing listeners particularly because of its focus inwards, “Polylog” opens up to the world, inviting it in and making a diversity of perspectives, experiences and concepts of life visible through its polyphonic nature.

“‘Monologue’ was a dark album”, Syrian-born Kekhia says. It dealt with his fight against cancer, depression, losing love and long years of fleeing from Syria’s war. It was about always leaving and never arriving. “Music was the only refuge” he remembers while reflecting on his experiences of the past few years, “it was a place of healing for me, a space that allowed me to get over some things and express them.” In his native Syria, Kekhia already played in bands, mostly covering songs in English. “But while I had cancer, it didn’t feel right anymore to write songs in English” – which led him to starting to write in his mother tongue Arabic and to combine the lyrics with his very own and unique electronic sound.

On “Polylog”, Kekhia is developing this approach further: by now, Kekhia has not only arrived in Berlin, but also built his artistic and personal home in the city. Where “Monologue” stared into the abyss, “Polylog” turns towards the sun, yet never without that certain pinch of melancholy characterizing both Yousef Kekhia’s songwriting and the lyrical traditions of the Arabic language. “Polylog” is also a sonic manifesto of personal development: “I felt free to find myself as a feminist and break barriers in my head”, Kekhia says, describing the past months but also his work for “Polylog”. The album is something akin to the manifestation of a new expression of masculinity, a gender identity striving for a more equal, better world and future. “‘Polylog’ is about how feminism affected my life as a man in this man dominated world, coming from a male dominant culture as well. It taught me a lot and made me much more feminist than I thought I could ever be”, Kekhia adds.

Kekhia transports this message lyrically as well as sonically: the songs on “Polylog” are simultaneously vulnerable, confident and powerful. And they radiate this very specific warmth that can only come from acoustic elements which Kekhia combines with his emotional and truly borderless sound involving elements of electronic music and folk. Listen to the hopeful “Al Rabta” for example, a song that captures a feeling of freedom, surrounded by lights, creativity and music, open for new experiences and for any direction this great trip we’re all taking together on this planet will lead us to. Or take the shimmering and beautiful “A’l Amar”, an ode to the moon and to the desire to escape memories towards a planet where only magic and pure instincts exist instead of our grown up attitudes and the materialistic capitalist world. And of course there is also the melancholic “Lan Ansa” where the serene sonic landscape leaves space for Yousef Kekhia’s stunning voice to shine.

“Polylog” is not yet another album with songs about love, Kekhia’s lyrics deal with the consequences and effects various relationships have had on him: “‘Polylog’ is the effect and the burst of a true honest exchange between different people from different cultural backgrounds. It is about the magic stories which are written into relationships, every encounter and exchange is like a little fairytale in my mind. Polylog is about these encounters with different women and the emotions they sparked in me and reminded me of: they made me feel home sometimes or made me feel accepted and colorful.”

With “Polylog”, Yousef Kekhia releases a record that gives so much more than it promises: it is the mature work of a young artist, it fuses the poetic traditions of the Arabic language with contemporary electronic music. It brings the discussion about new forms of masculinity to the dancefloor, shares thoughts for the morning after, and creates a future we could all be grateful to experience.

credits

released December 3, 2021

Written, produced & mixed by Yousef Kekhia
Mastered by Zino Mikorey
Artwork by: Adnan Samman

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Yousef Kekhia Berlin, Germany

Yousef Kekhia is a singer-songwriter from Aleppo, now based in Berlin.

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