Shameer ‘Waha EP’
Client
Shameer
Services
Creative Direction, Artist Services
Creative Partners
Davide Pistilli, Oliver González, Lena Sonrie
Year
2021
‘Waha’ is the debut project by Shameer, a five-track EP that serves as an introduction to his sonic universe, where forward-thinking electronic music meets the traditional Arab sounds from his roots.
The Project
Behind Shameer there is Shamir Abderraman, a music producer and DJ actively involved in the Canary Islands’ clubbing scene for over a decade.
Following a long introspection into his Arab family roots, he started incorporating traditional instrumentation and sounds in his music.
After several months of exploration and experimentation, Shameer was born as an alter-ego that honored his ancestry and could introduce these influences in contemporary clubs, combining traditional Arab sounds with cutting-edge electronic music.
In order to consolidate the foundations of project and establish his identity, Shameer approached us to help him with the creative direction and release strategy for the EP.
Project Overview
Create a strong visual identity that upholds the project’s narrative.
Oversee the creative and design proceses for the release and manage all the teams involved.
Design and implement a release strategy with PR support.
Our Work
Creative Direction
Shameer’s music sounds like a journey into a dystopian desert in the Sahara. We wanted this feeling to be perceived through the visual identity of the release and his press photography.
We created a visual moodboard that would serve as starting reference for the design, art, video, and photography team. We looked into the desert’s nature and fauna, as well as mystical elements and ornaments from Arab culture, in order to establish the foundations of the project. We then blended them together with contemporary references that could confer a balance between Shameer’s Arab influences and his passion for avant-garde electronic music.
In order to convey all the references into Shameer’s new visual identity, we have teamed up with Davide Pistilli, Art Director and Designer, Oliver Gonzalez, AV Producer and Animator, and Photographer Lena Sonrie.
They took care of transforming our creative treatment into the visual pieces that have been published Shameer’s social media channels, alongside with the artworks for the Waha EP.
Artist Services
We advised Shameer about the best ways to distribute the EP. As a new artist outside of the mainstream current, we agreed that Bandcamp should be the main platform to distribute his music.
In order to introduce him in the scene, we first looked for DJ’s and artists that would be likely to play his music. The goal was to help him establish organic relationships with like-minded musicians and creatives. We also supported him with PR, securing an exclusive premiere of his track ‘Erg’ on Spanish Radio3 show, ‘Paralelo3’.
His track ‘Waha’ was also premiered on Radio Flouka, artists like She Spells Doom have played his music in recent mixes, and he has been interviewed on Salaam Radio. Shameer has also got radio play on NTS and BBC Radio.
The result
Mixing photography, 3D animation, typography and graphic design, Shameer’s visual identity and release artworks reflect mystery, arab futurism, and elegance, elements that are also perceived in his music. All visual assets have been conceived with the intention of creating a visual system of Instagram posts that support Shameer’s presentation to the world. These are eye-catching and uphold the narrative, positioning him as a new mystic figure in the Spanish electronic music scene.
‘Waha’ EP is now available on all digital platforms.
Bandcamp · Spotify · Tidal · Apple Music · SoundCloud
