A weird little observation … #Spotify has removed #Melechesh from the "Arab Metal" #playlist and they're now on "Israeli Metal"
I was listening to the #ArabMetal section yesterday wondering where that vaguely familiar band i liked was … and now i find them annexed? (probably called Arab rather than #Arabic because a lot is in English)
I have no idea what their background is? but I'm curious now… I'll look it up later.
This must be recent? and not my imagination because the #Melechesh artist page on #Spotify profile still lists the "Arab Metal" #playlist https://open.spotify.com/artist/1bjUcmZxY4zJO1V5LaKzUY
"Formed in 1993 in the city of #Jerusalem …" that's Palestine?
They're probably currently Israeli citizens, because touring #Europe would be tricky on a Palestinian passport https://www.facebook.com/melechesh/posts/pfbid02XDCKQDJ4qG4auLPdEPhC1qzk4JtbCGFbbkYuUBxhr4Rfd8gz4Y798GwBGgVoSuYEl
Do #PalestinianPassports exist?
#Metal #SpotifyWrapped #HeavyMetal #MelecheshTour #Passports
I'm not a massive fan, as i said before they're a band i vaguely remembered finding last time i was looking for Middle Eastern metal bands.
But this is an interesting little educational case study for me to explore … and I'm wondering why #spotify moved them?
#Wikipedia describes #Melechesh as "an ethnically #Assyrian #BlackMetal band that originated in #Jerusalem and is currently based in Amsterdam" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melechesh
They seem to currently be based in Greece https://www.facebook.com/melechesh
and #EncyclopaediaMetallum list as assortment of locations in Europe https://www.metal-archives.com/bands/Melechesh/424#band_tab_members
So… a #European #BlackMetal band who formed in Palestine and have Middle Eastern heritage? #IsraeliMetal seems like an odd label for them?
#Assyrians don't generally identify as Arabs https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/assyrian-people-not-muslim-arab-asian-jenan-younis-meet
https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/assyrian-people-not-muslim-arab-asian-jenan-younis-meet
So the #ArabMetal designation seems inaccurate, but I think it's a slightly odd label to use in general. The theme seems to be "metal from the Arab world" https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DXaqykGqi6KX8
…but identity is a foggy thing…
(side note - infosec.exchange seems to have a lot more #metal related tags chiming up as suggestions than mastodon.social did? i think i like this server) #MetalHead #MetalBands #MiddleEasternMetal
So far "MENA Metal" seems like the more fitting #MusicGenre label for #Spotify to use in place of "Arab" … but the "Middle East and North Africa" acronym is a bit obscure and academic?
The #Spotify "Arab Metal" #playlist currently includes #Znous from #Tunisia #NorthAfrica https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Z5dr3yRC0mbwGzkGoCYyx
They use a lot of imagery and symbols that look #Berber / #Amazigh to me … but I don't know if that's their own identity or what #yanks would call #CulturalAppropriation https://open.spotify.com/artist/3Z5dr3yRC0mbwGzkGoCYyx
this might help… "WE ARE NOT ORIENTAL METAL DO NOT EXOTIFY OUR ART" https://www.znousland.net/we-are-not-oriental-metal-do-not-exotify-us/
some of these tags should have scare quotes, but it messed with the post formatting… #OrientalMetal #ArabMetal #MENA #MiddleEastAndNorthAfrica #culturalidentity #MusicGenre #MusicGenres
I've actually never heard of " #OrientalMetal " before
#Genre was maybe the wrong word to use before (not sure if I should go back and change it?) the geographic label is more just a "category" that overlaps with genre and style.
There is also a #GermanMetal playlist https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EId7CFKROoBp9
But that isn't simple either… it could be a language category if not for the English Language band "Emigrate" featuring #RichardKruspe from #Rammstein … and one track from "Oomph!" in English
and it doesn't work as a national category because it features #Nachtmar from #Austria and #Laibach from #Slovenia (both a bit problematic) but at least they didn't include the bands from the USA that use some #German in their lyrics? (often less problematic, just not very German)
maybe "German Metal" works as a "theme"?
I'm not sure if "Arab metal" works as a category at all? Maybe "Arabic metal" including a few related tracks like that "German metal" list?
I thought this thread was forking but it's ended up linking back to the "where does Melechesh come from?" #Znous don't seem to think they are #IsraeliMetal "We understand that things went the way they went with early “Oriental Metal” bands coming from historical Palestine like #Melechesh or #OrphanedLand (which were the first to be labelled so). Many newer bands coming from the region have unfortunately adhered to this bordering-racist and discriminatory term/genre." https://www.znousland.net/we-are-not-oriental-metal-do-not-exotify-us/ (same link as in previous post)
I also saw Orphaned Land on that "Israeli Metal" list https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1EIfUNA6VGyfJf they are just "Formed in Israel in 1991…" https://open.spotify.com/artist/7xTMxqAmbtE0Nce5lz7t0h
I'm not sure how they identify given the essay from Znous describes them as from "historical Palestine" but i am curious now…
Now I am wondering if there a #ChineseMetal #spotifyPlaylist with #Chthonic on it?
cc @kirt @kirt @kirt @Kirt
#HistoricalPalestine #90sMusic #90sMetal #PalestinianMusic
Kirt
verbose kirt
