The following is written for musicians and lyricists considering contributing to Al Qaynah.
Al Qaynah is a global effort and we're composers and musicians from different cultural, religious and ethnic backgrounds.
Afghanistan thusly is our metaphorical homeland.
The musical project is to blend western, Middle Eastern and eastern influences in a homogenous way. Emphasizing unity and flow - not differences. The musical vision is 'eastern metal'. It's an attempt to create a sound that truly reflects the urban experience of late modern western society, without adhering to common genre boundaries. By blending Middle Eastern and Indian influences with industrial and metal influences we seek to create a distinct and unique style of late modern metal - using the tonalities of the Middle East and India combined with a western base of monotone droning metal.
The conflicts between the western world and islamic and third world countries - between western governments and their own religious, cultural, political and ethnic minorities - between unchecked vulgar capitalism and the people who suffer its social and cultural pathologies - provide the motivations that fuel Al Qaynah. It is first and foremost a political project (but then again so is Britney Spears', she just doesn't know it). But as important as displaying discontent and frustration - to protest - it is crucial that the project also symbolizes that illusive possibility of peaceful and tolerant relations between all the people of the world.
The collaborations for Al Qaynah are done over the internet. We exchange sound files and everything is collected in Copenhagen where cutting, pasting, mixing etc. is performed.
If youre interested in writing/playing something for Al Qaynah, please let us know.
-Jesper Boye