By Sekka
Disco Blue band members from left to right: Abdulla Mahmood, John Goodwin and Sean Fernandes . Image by Ishaq Madan.
Founded in February 2022 by Bahrain-based trio Abdulla Mahmood, Sean Fernandes and John Goodwin, Disco Blue is a new indie music band that should be on your radar.
‘There was a gap in the Bahrain music scene that we all wanted to explore,’ says Mahmood, when asked why the formed the band. ‘While electronic dance music was on the rise in the region, and most significantly around us, it was a real wake-up call to start something fresh and groovy, and what best genre to start at than Disco?’
The band has a specific approach to developing music, recording segments of ideas in short bursts, while focusing primarily on hooks and energy.
‘The ideas that capture the most intrigue and excitement are then developed further in the sessions, where John and I focus on lyrics and delivery of melody,’ explains Mahmood.
‘The real magic happens when we give it to Sean. He is the true mastermind of sound and genius of production. What can start as a terrible sound recording sample on an iPhone can be totally transformed into world class sound production when passed to Sean for production, mixing and mastering,’ he explains.
Cover art for ‘A7ibich’. Image courtesy of Disco Blue.
The music, which blends English lyrics with Arabic words, has been well received in the region for a band that has been introduced only this year, with gigs in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Dubai.
The band’s singles such as ‘A7ibich’ (which translates to I love you in Arabic) mixes Arabic words with English lyrics. Mahmood shares that this is an approach they will continue to follow.
‘Keep in mind that we share English, Indian and Bahraini nationalities [ between us] and although we all reside in Bahrain, we feel like it’s important to combine all three in different ways,’ notes Mahmood. ‘We were really fueled by the idea by a lot of people in the Saudi Arabian music industry. They absolutely loved one of our songs, “A7ibich,” for the very Bahraini Arabic [used in it], as well as the groovy-ness of the tune… We believe we should empower the Arabic-English music combo because it is really our [Disco Blue] identity.’
Part of what makes the band stand out is how the music videos are filmed in everyday locations such as the traditional bakeries in Bahrain, that are known as ‘al-Khabaz,’ grocery stores and local neighbourhoods, with band members clad in traditional Bahraini attire.
Disco Blue band members from left to right: Sean Fernandes, Abdulla Mahmood and John Goodwin . Part of what makes the band stand out is how the music videos are filmed in everyday locations such as the traditional bakeries in Bahrain, that are known as ‘al-Khabaz,’ grocery stores and local neighbourhoods. Image by Ishaq Madan.
While seeking inspiration can be tough for artists, Mahmood shares that artists like Majid Jordan and L’Impératrice, serve as a constant source of inspiration for balancing their immediacy of melodic hooks, whilst conjuring up bittersweet sensations.
There is no stopping for the Bahrain based trio who have their eyes set on sharing their music with more in the Arab world, and focusing on writing and releasing music every month.
‘We’d love to eventually play festivals around the world because it is really the dream of every musician,’ hopes Mahmood.
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