Our conversation from May 2009, when he was a Boston DJ playing Rumor on weekends. Four years later he was playing sunrise at Burning Man as one half of Bedouin.
I interviewed Tamer in May 2009, when he was still a Boston DJ, resident at Rumor and running Sunday Groove. A few years later he and Rami Abousabe played sunrise on the Robot Heart bus at Burning Man, and Bedouin grew from there.
I like going back to this one because the clues are already in it. Jazz at the top of his list of inspirations, then independent films, modern art and different cultures. Three sold-out shows in Port-au-Prince when he had no idea what to expect.
Back then Tamer was the resident DJ at Rumor and headlined around the city at:
- Rise
- Underbar
- Venu
- The Foundation Lounge
He co-created Sunday Groove, an underground weekly, and started WeNo with the DJ and producer Sergio Santos as a party and a future label. His sound was deep, groovy, vocal tech house with jazz, funk and classics folded in. He went to the Winter Music Conference in Miami every year and played New York, DC, Madrid, Marbella, London, Munich and Mexico. He shared bills with:
- Deep Dish
- David Guetta
- Cedric Gervais
- Chus & Ceballos
“Music has always been a cornerstone in my life. Boston has introduced me to fresh sounds and an invigorating energy unlike anything I had experienced before. My deep involvement in radio and event promotion in Boston is shaping my perspective as an artist.”
Tamer Malki, 2009
Some of the best events I have ever taken part in were probably in the Caribbean, during my December visit to Port-au-Prince. I had no idea what to expect, but it was totally insane. I performed in three shows and all of them were sold out. The crowd had tremendous levels of energy and everyone partied till sunrise. Food was great, weather was amazing, and I fell in love with their beaches. It was a totally different experience.
I could be influenced and inspired by so many different things. It depends on what I’m surrounded with and on what I’m doing at the moment. Jazz, independent films, modern art, originality, nice city views, people I live around, different cultures, and Wally’s Cafe can definitely be the first things that come to mind.
Jazz, independent films, modern art, different cultures and Wally’s Cafe.Tamer Malki, on what inspires him
These days it’s so hard to keep up with the overwhelming amount of records coming out every day from different areas in the world. Some are great, some shouldn’t have seen the light of day. But since I started getting deeper and deeper into music, Dennis Ferrer, Laurent Garnier, Gotan Project, Sasha and Erick Morillo were always the superheroes that took the top spots on my list.
- Space TerraceMiami
- The EndLondon
- Sky BarBeirut
Each one is in a different continent and each has its own unique vibe that is just unforgettable.
- Carl Craig, At Les
- Dennis Ferrer, Sandcastles
- Laurent Garnier, The Man with the Red Face (original mix)
- YouTube
- BBC Radio 1
- Resident Advisor
He gave us an exclusive download with the interview: The Major Boys, Sous Le Soleil (Tamer Malki Remix).
“The desert has its own vibe and its own character.”
Tamer Malki to the Jordan Times, 2023
- c.2008Meeting Rami
He met Rami Abousabe, a New York DJ born in New Jersey to Egyptian parents, through friends at an early edition of the BPM Festival in Mexico. They named the duo after the Bedouin lands that run between Egypt and Jordan.
- 2013Robot Heart
Their sunrise set on the Robot Heart bus at Burning Man was the breakout (Mixmag). Releases followed on Crosstown Rebels, All Day I Dream, Get Physical and Circoloco.
- 2017Pink Floyd, their way
Their cover of “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun” came out on Crosstown Rebels with a Guy Gerber remix. Pink Floyd’s drummer Nick Mason gave it his blessing, BBC Radio 1 made it an Essential New Tune (Bedouin), and Mixmag named them breakthrough artists of the year. It moved them from rising desert DJs to producers in demand.
- 2017SAGA, Ibiza
Guy Laliberté invited them to take Sunday nights at his club Heart. SAGA won Best Night in Ibiza at the 2019 DJ Awards and later moved to Pacha, then Club Chinois.
- 2020Human By Default
Their own label, launched with the Whistleman EP.
- 2022Petra
A live set for Cercle at the Treasury in Petra, in his home country.
- 2023Temple of Dreams
Their debut album, made over seven years and released on 19 May on Human By Default. Tamer described it to Beatportal as “the past, present and future of the Bedouin sound.”
Making music is all about being present and totally immersed in the moment.Tamer Malki to METAL Magazine
This life is a lot of travelling, a lot of creativity, and a lot of pressure to be on the road. It matters to have a partner who grounds you, supports your dreams and is your constant ray of sunshine.
For Tamer that’s his wife, Athena Kakoliri.
Leila Antakly
Leila Antakly founded Antakly Projects in New York in 2003, as Ninu Nina. For more than twenty years it has published conversations with artists, musicians, photographers, designers and thinkers across art, music, fashion, film and contemporary culture.
Interviews are chosen through curiosity and research, not celebrity, trend or algorithm, with particular attention to artists who deserve a deeper conversation than the usual press cycle allows. The archive asks how people think, what shapes their work and where their ideas sit in a wider cultural conversation, not simply what they are promoting.
