“Ah Yallila” is the latest single from AMMAR 808, the Tunisian producer and sound researcher also known as Sofyann Ben Youssef. It marks a bold continuation of his work exploring the intersection between traditional North African music and contemporary electronic production. The track appears on Club Tounsi, his forthcoming album due 23 May via Glitterbeat Records, which reimagines Tunisian folk styles—particularly Mezoued—within a bold, club-ready framework.
At the heart of “Ah Yallila” is Mezoued, a working-class folk style born in Tunis in the mid-20th century. Typically associated with the sounds of urban street celebrations and underground parties, Mezoued is driven by the shrill, droning bagpipe from which it takes its name, as well as the insistent rhythms of the darbuka. Historically looked down on by cultural elites, the genre nonetheless holds deep social and emotional significance for many Tunisians. AMMAR 808 taps into this energy and re-contextualises it, weaving the raw textures of Mezoued into a dense, electronic framework.
The track features vocal contributions from Mahmoud Lahbib and Mariem Bettouhami, both rooted in North African vocal traditions. Their performances retain a strong sense of regional character while adapting fluidly to the track’s digital setting. Their voices are looped, layered and processed in ways that enhance rather than dilute their intensity, creating a sense of continuity between the ancestral and the contemporary.
Production-wise, “Ah Yallila” is characteristically uncompromising. Synth lines, distorted low-end, and the unmistakable pulse of the TR-808 run alongside hand percussion and field recordings, building a sound that’s heavy but dynamic.
AMMAR 808 has made a name for himself through projects that foreground cultural specificity while avoiding nostalgia. Maghreb United (2018) introduced a sonic vision that melded Maghrebi rhythms and instruments with deep bass and electronic beats. This was expanded further on Global Control / Invisible Invasion (2020), which pushed into dystopian, pan-global territory by incorporating elements of South Indian music. In 2023, he released the Super Stambeli EP, a contemporary interpretation of the Tunisian Stambeli tradition: a spiritual and musical practice rooted in Afro-descendant ritual culture.
Beyond his work as AMMAR 808, Sofyann Ben Youssef has been actively involved in projects that explore and reinterpret traditional music. He co-shaped Targ (2017) with Bargou 08, based on songs collected in a remote Tunisian valley, blending archival material with live electronics, and collaborated with Tuareg rock band Kel Assouf, producing their albums Tikounen (2016) and Black Tenere (2019)—both of which blend Saharan blues with rock and electronic influences.
Club Tounsi promises a more focused exploration of Tunisian musical heritage, using technology not to erase the past but to extend its reach.
Stream, listen to, and pre-order AMMAR 808 upcoming album Club Tounsi HERE
You can also join and enjoy the official Club Tounsi listening party on 21 May 2025 at 5:00PM GMT+1 via Bandcamp.