Rust’s ‘Masar’ EP Melds Oud & Electronica into a Sonic Odyssey

Beirut-based label Thawra Records adds to its growing catalogue of experimental releases with ‘Masar’, a five-track EP by Rust that pushes Arabic musical traditions into uncharted territory. Rooted in the structure of Arabic poetry and instrumentation, the EP reframes classical elements like the oud and mawwal through a sharp lens of glitch, distortion, and layered electronic rhythms.

Opening with “Ashtar,” Rust sets the tone with a mawwal anchored in classical Arabic scales. But the track soon pivots—glitchy percussion and ambient distortion drag the melody into unfamiliar space before returning to its oud-driven emotional core. It’s a pattern the EP returns to often, bridging the traditional with the synthetic without flattening either.

‘Mawal’, one of the more vocal-heavy tracks, begins with raw oud riffs before erupting into a gritty vocal performance laced with radio-static textures. The piece feels stripped down and fragmented—until suddenly it isn’t. There’s a deliberate roughness here, one that refuses to be smoothed out.

‘Wujud’ shifts focus toward rhythmic drive, building layers of electro percussion under floating verses. It pulses, spirals, and surges into heavier sonic textures that border on dissonant, creating an almost spiritual tension.

‘Kharif’ and the closing track ‘Masar’ reintroduce softness, without easing the sense of unease. The title track, in particular, slows the pace into something more atmospheric—ghostlike vocals hovering over ambient swells that feel part lament, part lullaby.

‘Masar’ doesn’t aim for accessibility—it invites you into its own fractured world of sound, memory, and reinterpretation. And in doing so, Rust offers a powerful meditation on how music can hold both tradition and experimentation in the same breath.