Clever Moose puts Arabic disco on the streets of Bali

Indonesia’s Faiz Marie has released a new single under his solo project Clever Moose, following his 2024 debut album ‘Mediterranean Fuzz’ and a run of shows across Asia.

‘Dhabab Dhini’ moves the project into what Marie calls an “Arabic genre-bending” era, combining Middle Eastern folk influences, psychedelic textures and disco grooves.

The direction is guided by a concept Marie describes as “The Beauty of Displacement”; an interest in moments when things seem out of place yet feel natural together.

Where Mediterranean Fuzz drew on the cultural crossroads of the Mediterranean, ‘Dhabab Dhini’ applies that idea to a groove-oriented sound, built on hypnotic basslines, danceable percussion and Arabic-inspired melodic structures, while keeping the project's psychedelic core intact.

“With ‘Dhabab Dhini’, I wanted to explore the meeting point between Middle Eastern folk, psychedelic music, and disco not to recreate any of those traditions, but to imagine what happens when they unexpectedly coexist. It’s less about fusion and more about curiosity,” Marie notes.

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“I also grew up in a family where Arabic folk music was always playing, so those sounds have been part of me for as long as I can remember. At the same time, I’ve always been drawn to doing things that feel unexpected. On my first album, I explored Mediterranean folk through psychedelic rock. This time, I wanted to bring Arabic folk into the world of disco but still keep everything grounded in organic instruments. That contrast felt exciting to me, and it naturally became the sound of ‘Dhabab Dhini’,” he adds.

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That same Beauty of Displacement concept carries into the music video, filmed in Kuta, Bali, which follows a man in a gamis (loose-fitting, ankle-length robe originating from the Middle East) dancing through public spaces and riding a camel on the beach.

“I’m fascinated by moments when things appear to be out of place, yet somehow feel completely natural. Since ‘Dhabab Dhini’ is built around the meeting of Arabic folk influences and disco grooves, I wanted the visuals to reflect that same idea. […] These images aren’t meant to be shocking, they’re visual metaphors for cultures, identities, and places unexpectedly meeting. To me, that’s where beauty happens.”

Watch ‘Dhabab Dhini’ below.

Amira Waworuntu is Mixmag Asia’s Managing Editor, follow her on Instagram.

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