MIZAJ AND HOPE

In between light clean and raw garage sound, there is Mizaj, an alternative rock band from Tunisia. On may 10th 2024, Mizaj are releasing their first album Wahm (illusion), which happens to hold a real message of hope. Oxymore and contradictions, on the occasion of the release of  Wahm, we asked Louay Rezgui, bassist and singer to tell us more about the band, and the new album, Wahm.

Louay Rezgui : We founded Mizaj in late 2018. We made our debut on the music scene in 2019 with our first single, 'Trik Elil,' in Arabic (Night’s road) . The song portrays a character dealing with his demons and past while walking the streets of Tunis at night. Following this, we released two other songs, 'T-nation' and 'All Teachers,' both critical of the Tunisian system. 

TRIK ELLIL

Louay Rezgui : During the COVID-19 pandemic, we released 'Kasser Lekyoud', a song that served as a sort of catharsis for me as I was dealing with various problems at that moment. I think it has been well-received because it offers a hopeful message about the beauty that you can find in sadness and the potential to break free from chains to create a new path.

After the pandemic in 2022, we released our first EP, 'Mizaj,' featuring these four songs, and were selected for the MAA EL MOGHREB program by B7L9 Art Station. 

KASSER LEKYOUD

Louay Rezgui : In 2023, we decided to focus on composing our first album, opting to not play live concerts in order to concentrate on composition and mixing. We released 'Wahm' as a single to see reactions to our new style associating Pop, rock, shoegaze and indie tunisian music and we received many positive reviews about it.

The song Wahm is about the same character from "Trik Elil" who will find someone in his dreams that will help him a lot. He doesn't want to admit that it's an illusion born from his hope to be rescued from his illness, so he decides to stay there forever.

WAHM

Louay Rezgui : Our first album, also titled Wahm, is set to be released on May 10th and will include songs like Wahm itself, Choft (the newest one) and Yama (written and composed by Ghassen Horrigue from Barzakh). The album explores the theme of illusion that we face everyday in love, life, and work. We chose to write mostly in Arabic for this album to maintain sincerity as we describe our style of writing a tunisian lyricism with a touch of surrealism. 

CHOFT

Can you tell us a few words about the choice of the album cover ?

Louay Rezgui : I simply love the brutalist architecture of “L’hôtel du lac”. The monument has an interesting history. The authorities have tried to take it down many times, a whole movement arose to prevent the destruction, and the monument is standing still. 

This story is very representative of the global situation in Tunisia. This country is constantly threatened to collapse politically and economically. But we are standing still, and that is beautiful. And deep inside, we all know that this country is beautiful.

Still, so many people are fleeing, thinking that the grass is greener elsewhere. They are leaving their past, their present and their future somehow, pursuing an illusion. And the truth is, life is not necessarily better elsewhere. 

YAMA