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Sidi Bouzid Syndrome EP (Track info)

01 Al Dik (A secret report from repression-land)
         الدّيك - تقرير سرّي من قمعستان

Duration: 4:32 / Released: 03.2012 / Al Dik (engl. The Rooster) uses excerpts from two poems by the late Syrian Poet Nizar Qabbani, in which he elegantly and explicitly criticizes arab dictators, state violence, tyranny and military repression. You can find out more about Nizar Qabbani here and watch the poet perform an epical reading of his poem the Rooster (Al Dik / Al Deek) here.

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02 From Sidi Bouzid to Cairo
      من سيدي بوزيد إلى القاهرة

Duration: 5:16 / Released: 03.2012 / Degage! Game Over! the message delivered by the streets of Tunisia and Egypt was simple and clear. a united call for dignity and freedom. and the revolution happened. la khawfa ba3da al yaom (engl. no more fear after today). idha 3odtom, 3odna (engl. if you return, we will too). the sounds used in this track include recordings from the streets of Tunis, Cairo, international media and, notably, pre-revolution propaganda material taken from a video meant to be an Ode to Leila Ben Ali, the Tunisian's dictator's wife (source: nawaat.org). Note that this field recordings collage and remix/mash-up was performed and recorded live at the opening of a Checkpoint 303 live performance in Santiago de Chile (February 5th, 2011) several weeks after the fall of the Tunisian dictator. Check-out a video of this collage here.

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03 Al Zaïm (Revolution mix)
      الزّعيم - ثورة مكس

Duration: 3:25 / Released: 03.2012 / Al Zaïm (engl. the leader) combines excerpts from a well-know play by Egyptian actor Adel Imam with field recordings performed by Sound Catcher Yosh in Tahrir square during the revolution. the slogan: al cha3b youreed isqat al nidham (engl. the people want the fall of the regime) [find out more about this slogan and its derivatives in the so-called arab spring here]. the controversial position of the actor A. Imam during the earlier days of the revolution contrasts with the message of the play Al Zaïm, but ironically coincides with some statemets made by the character he played in the play....

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04 Lan taqifa nawa3ir Hama (1982-2012)
      لن تقف نواعير حماة 1982-2012

Duration: 8:11 / Released: 03.2012 / The title of this experimental audio-collage Lan taqifa nawa3ir Hama translates to "Hama's Norias will never stop". Hama's historical huge water wheels (known as Norias) are a symbol of the resistance of the people of Hama (since the massacre in 1982 to the ones they suffer today), and all the Syrian civil society. the piece kicks off with the haunting sound of a Hama water wheel. along the 8 min of the track, the sound of the Norias gradually mix with various ambient field recordings performed in Hama. eventually the voice of Hama's murdered revolution singer Ibrahim Qashoush repeatedly breaks through the audioscapes singing Yalla Irhal ya Bashar (engl. "Come on Bashar, leave!"). Find out more about Ibrahim Qashoush's protest song.

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all songs are property of checkpoint 303. the downloadable songs may be shared on a p2p basis. they may not be sold or distributed for profit in any way whatsoever, without checkpoint 303's express consent (Creative Commons License - see audio page)