SANAM
“An alchemical tour de force delivered with a defiant, DIY disposition”
SANAM is a Beirut-based six-piece forging a bold, widescreen sound that blends psych, krautrock, free improv, skronk, electronics, goth, and jazz with traditional Egyptian music and modern Arabic poetry. Drawing from Lebanon’s vital independent music scene, the band features Sandy Chamoun (vocals), Antonio Hajj (bass), Farah Kaddour (buzuq), Anthony Sahyoun (guitar, synth), Pascal Semerdjian (drums), and Marwan Tohme (guitars)—musicians deeply connected to projects like Kinematik, Postcards, Al Rahel al Kabir, and Oviid.
SANAM came together in 2021 after being invited to collaborate with Faust’s Hans Joachim Irmler for Beirut’s Irtijal Festival. A subsequent recording residency in rural Lebanon—set against the backdrop of national upheaval—helped solidify their sound: raw, immersive, and unafraid to embrace both improvisation and friction. Their debut album, Aykathani Malakon, was recorded entirely live, without overdubs, and weaves haunting vocals with densely layered instrumentation and lyrical texts from Sayyid Darwish, Bassem Hajjar, and Paul Shaoul. Mixed by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh (Jerusalem in My Heart) and mastered by Heba Kadry, the album was released in June 2023 on UK label Mais Um Discos, earning critical acclaim from The Guardian, The Wire, BBC Radio 6 (Gilles Peterson and Tom Ravenscroft), and Bandcamp Daily.
Represented by Rob Gibbs