Imagine waking up from a nightmare into a reality that’s even worse.
For new single Sharaf El-Wattan (“honor of the homeland”), Assasi and rising star The HWS connect with the overwhelming brutality of their native Syria. Assasi writes from the perspective of a chemical attack victim facing his last moments, while The HWS recounts his childhood in ISIS- and civil war-ravaged Raqqa.
A hard-hitting track produced by Assasi’s longtime collaborator Haquin immerses listeners in the nightmare, with eerie cello work by Adam Maalouf and a subversive twist on the theme song from anime series Suqoor Al-Ardh (“Earth Hawks”).