Loma Reqs

About

“Dance!” said a voice. And as the sun went down, they danced until the early hours of the morning. With their collision of Kurdish poetry and acid trance, reggaeton and shimmering synth loops, Loma Reqs create an utterly physical, even sweat-inducing fusion of different musical traditions that comes together perfectly. The duo – consisting of Kurdish singer–songwriter Hêja Netirk and Colombian composer and producer Rico Danta – have already defined a sound on their debut album that is as tradition-conscious as it is modern and for which hardly any labels seem appropriate. That’s why Loma Reqs simply refer to the music on “Qemirî” (2026) as “Kurdish acid”. And the label fits perfectly. Physical beats pulse beneath delightfully distorted saz solos, whilst the vocals chase after a ritualistic festive atmosphere with exuberance. Not least for this reason, tracks such as “Çiyayê Bagokê” and “Nêrgis” possess in all their danceability an equally distinct mystical atmosphere framed by passionate lyrics against the patriarchy and misogyny, against exclusion and oppression. Their debut with us this year will hopefully be just another milestone on Loma Reqs’s mission.