Afghan-German producer Farhot returns with “MARS”, a rhythmically restless and sonically expansive track that marks the first release from his upcoming project RAQS (105–118BPM) out 27 July via his own label, Kabul Fire Records. Built around a looped vocal sample from Somali supergroup 4Mars’ 1987 track “Tilman Baa Lagu Socdaa“, the track draws on Somali funk, hip-hop and stripped-back house, but never settles into any one style. It’s lean and hypnotic: all sharp edits, pulsing beats, and space for the original voices to breathe.

The reference to 4Mars is especially significant. The group, based in Mogadishu and active during Somalia’s socialist era, were key figures in the nation’s golden age of music, fusing influences from Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, and Turkey with Somali Dhaanto rhythms, Bollywood-inspired vocals, and jazz-honed horn sections. Their sound captured the cosmopolitan spirit of a port city at the crossroads of global trade. Farhot doesn’t so much re-contextualise them as re-amplify their voice for a new audience and era.

He repurposes the original’s choral elements—characterised by rich vocal harmonies and resonant percussion—into a percussive, sample-driven track that pulses with momentum. The result is a heady blend of big beat, downtempo house, and leftfield hip-hop: rhythmically layered, melodic but never over-polished, and full of subtle distortions and chopped vocal loops that lend it a handmade, analogue quality.

“MARS” points to what RAQS (105–118BPM) may offer: a deep dive into dancefloor tempos and cultural crosscurrents, shaped by Farhot’s intuitive, collage-style production. His past work—from Kabul Fire to projects with Nneka, Talib Kweli, Giggs and Kano—shows a producer who samples widely but listens closely. On “MARS”, that sensibility is front and centre.

You can pre-order RAQS (105–118BPM) HERE