What begins with a sampled snare made from a spoon clicking against a cup of tea as the sugar mixes sets the tone for ‘Bismar’, a track that borrows heavily from the high-energy Iraqi Digi-Chobi sound. The song’s lyrics revolve around the central metaphor of the bismar (nail), where hammering a nail symbolizes sealing something shut or marking a permanent possession, as reflected in the line:
“Wa ‘ala bab al-kalb bismar daket”
which translates to:
“And on the door of the heart, I hammered a nail.”
Najm preserves the authenticity of Iraqi musical staples, the sounds of weddings, street celebrations, and folk traditions, and slows them down in an introspective atmosphere as Najm navigates the tension between old habits and the urgent need to break free, striking a balance between confidence and vulnerability in the title track to his forthcoming EP.
Produced by Auralis and released via Raad Records, the track blends traditional synth textures, Iraqi melodic phrasing, and screeching Iraqi-style synthesizer riffs.
