Press
DECEMBER 11, 2025 5:00 AM ET
Zeyne, AWDA
The most compelling Arabic pop — and there’s a ton to explore — blends elements of hip-hop and electronic music with the rich and varied folkloric sources of its home regions. Zeyne, who grew up dancing in a traditional dabke troupe and (like Rosalía, an artist with a similarly ambitious vision) studied classical music before finding her voice in R&B, beautifully blends sources and sensibilities on this no-skips song suite intertwining heartbreak songs with those about exile and the mental unrest a disrupted life can cause. Awda is Arabic for “return”; this debut album is a breakthrough statement about the many kinds of exile that can afflict people.
Zeyne's debut album was mixed in its entirety by Kauner. Listen here.
APRIL 30, 2025
Producer and mixer Kauner Michael ’20 shares his journey from Berklee Valencia to Los Angeles, discussing his creative philosophy and relationship to sound design.