Sure, it’s been over six months since most people have been able to cram into a sweaty club and dance the night away – and while there might be light at the end of this neverending tunnel that is COVID-19, club nights are still months away. That doesn’t stop Lebanese electronic duo Wake Island from continuing to create dance music that’s tailor-made for the dance floor. Today we’re premiering the new song “Daya3” from their upcoming EP of the same name. It’s an exotic electronic track that shows off the pair’s influences while forging ahead with their own sound.
The bilingual song features the verses in Arabic, with a deep, digitally-manipulated male voice reciting lines like “Step by step / We’re all walking together / One step forward / Ten steps back.” The song then hits an instrumental breakdown before entering into a Pet Shop Boys-esque chorus with the singer powerfully singing “You want to change the world / But you don’t want to die / You’re walking, you’re walking, you’re walking / Inside the lines.” The song’s lyrics also touch on themes of unity: “We’re all immigrants together / From sea to sea / Flying in the air / We left everything behind.”
“The song mirrors the recent events in Lebanon that have caused yet another massive wave of immigration,” said Wake Island in a statement. “Our people’s dreams and hopes have literally exploded with Beirut. Inspired by ’90s techno pop, this song explores the feelings of loss and confusion that arise when we are faced with no other choice but to leave our home in search for a better life elsewhere.”
Originally hailing from Beirut, Philippe Manasseh and Nadim Maghzal met in Montreal while in college. Wake Island has made a name for themselves in the Arab and queer music scenes with their dance parties and DJ sets in New York City and Montreal. While those shows have been put on hold, the duo have their three-song Daya3 EP coming out tomorrow, a taste of what we can expect from their upcoming album Born to Leave.
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