MUSIC Beirut’s Yasmine and Zeid Hamdan were once Soapkills, a late 1990s duo that drew from Arabic musics, trip hop and electronica. They released three albums before going their separate ways: The Best of Soapkills (Crammed Discs) is exactly what it says it is, and you would be hard pressed to find a more fascinating or rewarding compilation.
Kanaku y el Tigre are actually Nico Saba and Bruno Bellatin, two well-listened Peruvian musicians who know enough about vintage psychedelia to reinvent it for their ends. Quema, Quema, Quema – ‘Burn, Burn Burn’ – (Strut/Tiger Milk Records) is a melodic and marvellously airy affair.
