Belgian-Iraqi trio Use Knife reimagine the traditional Iraqi lament “جي مالي والي” (Che Mali Wali – “What’s wrong with me?”) as a jagged, industrial invocation. Vocalist and percussionist Saif Al-Qaissy chants the refrain with raw urgency, threading it through distorted electronics, brittle drum patterns and Arabic percussion. It’s both a personal outcry and a defiant reclamation of cultural space.

The track appears on État Coupable, the group’s second album for Ghent label VIERNULVIER Records, and a more cohesive, collective statement than their 2022 debut. This time, the songs emerged through intensive live sessions, with Al-Qaissy taking a more central role. Alongside Belgian collaborators Kwinten Mordijck and Stef Heeren, the trio blend modular synths, baritone sax and EBM textures with traditional Iraqi instrumentation like the riq, daf and darbuka, bridging noise and folk with striking precision.

Use Knife’s work tackles displacement, identity and power without compromise. “Che Mali Wali” sets the tone for an album that thrives on tension—between languages, aesthetics, geographies. It doesn’t resolve these contradictions; it sharpens them into something vital.

Explore the full album via Use Knife’s Bandcamp profile