Cultures of Resistance

A decade after the death of the provocative and prolific musician known as Muslimgauze, author Ibrahim Khider has come out with a new book that revisits the artist’s impact on electronic music and his success in raising awareness about the struggle of the Palestinian people. Beginning in 1982, after Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, the Manchester-born musician’s obsession with Middle Eastern conflict began. His music, a mix of industrial, hip-hop, techno, and dubstep, and usually without any lyrics, could never easily be identified for its politics. But his pro-Palestinian beliefs were at the center of his inspiration. As the head of Muslimgauze’s first long-term record label recalls about their first meeting, “We didn't talk about music, we talked about politics and the whole situation that brought his music to life.” Mixing news broadcast recordings, drum kit beats, pots and pans, and classic instrumentals, Muslimgauze pioneered a new style of music that sounded little like anything else at the time or since. Cultures of Resistance created a trailer previewing Khider’s new book, which celebrates the artist’s politically motivated craft.