The Invisible Hands is the English translation of the band's original Egyptian Arabic name: El Ayadi El Khafeyya. A band created amidst an unusual backdrop by Alan Bishop (aka Alvarius B., member of legendary U.S. band Sun City Girls, and co-owner of the world famous Sublime Frequencies label), with Cairo-based musicians Cherif El Masri, Aya Hemeda, Adham Zidan and Magued Nagati. Songs -- sung in Arabic, English, or whichever language they channel -- are drenched in lovely psychedelic folk arrangements and vocal choruses with a nod to what could have potentially been music that surfaced decades ago, but instead found its way into the future. The group was established during the summer of 2011. Their debut was recorded in Cairo in May 2012. Two versions of the title were released; one in Arabic and another in English, with both on a limited edition double LP. Their second album is entitled Teslam.
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LP
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ABDT 062LP
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The Invisible Hands: Alan Bishop, Cherif El Masri, Ayawasqa, Adham Zidan. "Years in the making amidst multiple other projects, the third album by The Invisible Hands has finally seen the light of day. In 2014, just after releasing their second album Teslam (ABDT 054CD/LP, 2014), The Invisible Hands met to begin recording their third album. But there was a problem: Alan Bishop had dozens of new songs to record and a slow-motion reality bi-product of this dilemma was that one new album became several new albums. Three of those were released under Bishop's Alvarius B. moniker (With a Beaker on the Burner and an Otter in the Oven) in November of 2017 (ABDT 059CD). Although that triple LP featured many additional musicians, it was essentially part of a grander Invisible Hands project which began morphing into several new directions. Between October of 2014 and January of 2020, nearly 100 songs were recorded by various forms of the group. Many tracks have remained unreleased or unfinished. Final post-production was completed on The Big Minute in late 2022 and it features the premier studio versions of several original songs and most of the covers from the band's live repertoire (including 'Dirty Angels' by Ennio Morricone, 'Watchin' You' by Brainticket, and 'Black Orchid' by Sun City Girls). Now, almost nine years after the release of their second album, Teslam, you can finally listen to the official third album from the only folk-psychedelic-rock band to ever hail from Egypt." --Mustafa Murkos, Cairo, January 2023. Limited edition LP release of 500 copies with insert text and photos.
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LP
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ABDT 054LP
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LP version. "The Invisible Hands is a transcontinental collaboration between Alvarius B. (Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls) and four stellar young musicians from Cairo, Egypt: Cherif El Masri, Aya Hemeda (both formerly of the popular Egyptian group Eskenderella), Adham Zidan and Magued Nagati. On Teslam, The Invisible Hands expand the already panoramic range of their eponymous debut LP with a haunting set of melodic, impeccably crafted songs whose vintage psych/hard-rock edge conjures up early Alice Cooper almost as often as it recalls Sun City Girls and 20th-century icons like Ennio Morricone and Serge Gainsbourg. The band's exquisite sonic palette is deepened by Cairo-based guest musicians Mohamed Ibrahim, Mohamed 'Moe' Asem, and Sammy Sayed, as well as by longtime SCG compatriot Eyvind Kang. Recorded in Cairo between 2013 and 2014, Teslam represents a further evolution of Alvarius B.'s peerlessly idiosyncratic pop sensibility, which is just as volatile and unclassifiable as his more experimental work. His songwriting -- both on his own, and in partnership with Cherif El Masri -- is marked by a unity of purpose that has compressed countless musical and emotional incongruities into a handful of sharp-edged, pitch-black jewels. A brooding track composed by keyboardist Adham Zidan ('The Great Implosion') perfectly complements the record's uneasy mood. As usual, Alvarius B.'s lyrics comprise an apocalyptic pile-up of cruel metaphors at the intersection of culture, politics and international crime. But they take on new power and new implications as sung by El Masri and Hemeda, whose seductive voices are as inviting as a welcome mat at the gates of hell. Each song stands on its own while also fitting into a planet-sized jigsaw puzzle detailing dark associations and secret narratives that stretch back as far as the foundation of the world. Arguably Alvarius B.'s most accessible work to date, Teslam is a generously baited steel-jaw trap for the unwary listener. Like The Invisible Hands' 2013 debut, Teslam inevitably reflects the precarious political circumstances in which it was conceived and recorded. As such, it's a vivid document not just of an unlikely musical collaboration, but also of a critical moment of hope, defiance, rage and sorrow in one of the world's most venerable cities." --B. Kearney; Comes in a tip-on jacket with lyrics insert and lovely artwork.
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CD
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ABDT 054CD
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"The Invisible Hands is a transcontinental collaboration between Alvarius B. (Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls) and four stellar young musicians from Cairo, Egypt: Cherif El Masri, Aya Hemeda (both formerly of the popular Egyptian group Eskenderella), Adham Zidan and Magued Nagati. On Teslam, The Invisible Hands expand the already panoramic range of their eponymous debut LP with a haunting set of melodic, impeccably crafted songs whose vintage psych/hard-rock edge conjures up early Alice Cooper almost as often as it recalls Sun City Girls and 20th-century icons like Ennio Morricone and Serge Gainsbourg. The band's exquisite sonic palette is deepened by Cairo-based guest musicians Mohamed Ibrahim, Mohamed 'Moe' Asem, and Sammy Sayed, as well as by longtime SCG compatriot Eyvind Kang. Recorded in Cairo between 2013 and 2014, Teslam represents a further evolution of Alvarius B.'s peerlessly idiosyncratic pop sensibility, which is just as volatile and unclassifiable as his more experimental work. His songwriting -- both on his own, and in partnership with Cherif El Masri -- is marked by a unity of purpose that has compressed countless musical and emotional incongruities into a handful of sharp-edged, pitch-black jewels. A brooding track composed by keyboardist Adham Zidan ('The Great Implosion') perfectly complements the record's uneasy mood. As usual, Alvarius B.'s lyrics comprise an apocalyptic pile-up of cruel metaphors at the intersection of culture, politics and international crime. But they take on new power and new implications as sung by El Masri and Hemeda, whose seductive voices are as inviting as a welcome mat at the gates of hell. Each song stands on its own while also fitting into a planet-sized jigsaw puzzle detailing dark associations and secret narratives that stretch back as far as the foundation of the world. Arguably Alvarius B.'s most accessible work to date, Teslam is a generously baited steel-jaw trap for the unwary listener. Like The Invisible Hands' 2013 debut, Teslam inevitably reflects the precarious political circumstances in which it was conceived and recorded. As such, it's a vivid document not just of an unlikely musical collaboration, but also of a critical moment of hope, defiance, rage and sorrow in one of the world's most venerable cities. [This limited-edition razor-edged stainless-steel CD comes in a beautiful die cut balsawood jacket that folds out to form a fully operational guillotine. Just kidding, but it does come as a digipak CD with lyrics booklet and lovely artwork]." --B. Kearney
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7"
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ABDT 051EP
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2013 RSD release. [The Invisible Hands is the English translation of the band's original Egyptian Arabic name: El Ayadi El Khafeyya] This is the brand-new project of Alvarius B. (Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls). Recorded in Cairo in October 2012, both tracks on this 7" are not found on the new Invisible Hands self-titled album (ABDT 050CD) and are exclusive to this 45 rpm. Side one is a fully-orchestrated version of two Alvarius B. tracks, one of those tracks, "Insect Dilemma," was included on Sun City Girls' classic 330,003 Crossdressers from Beyond the Rig Veda album from 1996. Side B, "Lili Twil," is a cover of a Moroccan folk song from the early 1970s sung in Arabic by Aya Hemeda. Limited edition one-time pressing with full-color picture sleeve.
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CD
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ABDT 050CD
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The Invisible Hands is the English translation of the band's original Egyptian Arabic name: El Ayadi El Khafeyya. Taking almost two years to create amidst an unusual and challenging backdrop, this is the brand new project of Alvarius B. (Alan Bishop of Sun City Girls). Eleven highly-crafted new songs projected through his typically dark lens of songwriting and a band of brilliant musicians from Cairo, the premier, self-titled CD version of this album is the English language vocals edition (see below) delivered in AB's patented sinister style; drenched in lovely psychedelic folk arrangements and vocal choruses with a nod to what could have potentially been an album that surfaced decades ago but instead found its way into the future superimposed over historic and tumultuous times in the center of the Arab world. The group was established during the summer of 2011 and the album was recorded in Cairo in May of 2012. Band members include Cherif El Masri and Aya Hemeda (both former members of popular Egyptian group Eskenderella) with drummer Magued Nagati. On a handful of songs, several other players from the Cairo scene are featured including Sam Shalabi (Shalabi Effect/Land Of Kush) on oud and Mohamed Medhat on violin and viola. All tracks written and sung by Alvarius B. in English. Note: This is the English language CD version of the album. An Arabic language CD version will only be available to purchase in the Middle East. Both English and Arabic language versions will be available for digital download and both versions together will be available as a limited edition 2LP in the very near future.
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