Palestine Forever is a six-part mixtape from five NYC-based Palestinian, Lebanese, and Egyptian artists, Din, Mohammed, Aziz, Solofan, and Solpara. All proceeds from the mixes—which seamlessly traverse ambient soundscapes, spoken word, improvised electronics, industrial Tarab, and nostalgic Arab pop influences—will be split between The Freedom Theater in Jenin refugee camp and a fund to safely relocate a Palestinian family.

Spanning over three hours, this project serves as a sonic journey where the artists intricately weave their heritage and political perspectives into a tapestry of spellbinding sounds. The tape begins with Palestinian artist Din's autobiographical monologue, setting the tone for a narrative experience that concludes with Solpara's gritty live electro, creating a sense of cohesion throughout Palestine Forever. The music consistently draws you back into these five artists' unique worlds and collective mission, providing space and time for both contemplative introspection and uninhibited musical ecstasy.

Nina spoke with Palestine Forever artist Sabrout to learn more about how the mixtape originated.

How did this mixtape come together?

Sabrout: 8Ball approached us about making tapes to sell at a couple of zine fairs. The whole thing happened very quickly, we ended up making the mixes and having the tapes pressed (by the incredible 8Ball Team) in less than 10 days maybe. 

How did all the artists featured connect for this project?

All five artists met through the nightlife scene in NYC, and all of us have now become good friends. Some of us have been close for a while and some of us have gotten much closer since this recent surge in violence began.

It was so interesting to see how differently we approached the tapes, some of us did spoken word over DJ sets, some over live sets, and then there’s a pop mix and a couple of more dancefloor mixes as well. 

Is there going to be a physical aspect to the release?

The initial release was exclusively on tape, but we will be releasing it digitally and also doing a second run of tapes. We are currently looking into the logistics of the repress.

I think it is also necessary to point out that Mustafa Sheta, someone we were in touch with [at] Freedom Theatre Refugee Camp in Jenin back in October, was detained by the IDF in the past two days, in addition to multiple other people who work at Freedom Theatre as well. They were tied in their homes in the West Bank and taken hostage. I think it’s important to point this out to show even further just how relentless and cruel the Israeli attacks are, they are completely untargeted, they are just targeting literally everyone, and it’s no longer just in Gaza.