Berlin-based hardcore punks Zanjeer take aim at the systems reinforcing oppression in nations around the world on their new album, Seher-e-Maqhoor (English: “Dawn of the Oppressed”). Musically, it’s a concoction of classic hardcore punk, the band citing Ratos de Porão and Raw Power as major influences, with an outside coating of extreme on top, like you’ll hear on new song “Fuck Berlin, Free Falasteen.” “Falesteen” is the Arabic word for Palestine.
Vocalist Dozakhi (formerly of Pakistani hardcore punk bands Mulitnational Corporations and Dead Bhuttos) delivers lyrics in three languages. On “Fuck Berlin,” Dozakhi primarily sings in Urdu, the national language of Pakistan. By singing in Urdu, Dozakhi draws lines between the politics of Pakistan and those of other oppressed people everywhere. “Fuck Berlin, Free Falasteen” also features vocals delivered in English and Hebrew.
“Lyrically mixing Urdu, Hebrew and English, ‘Fuck Berlin Free Falasteen’ talks about anti-Palestine positions among Germans who are compensating for Holocaust guilt,” Dozakhi says. “Over the years, these attitudes have also carried Islamophobic and orientalist perceptions of the Middle East, aligning with wars and narratives that support US imperialism in the region.”
You can listen to the new song, and view its accompanying video, below. Seher-e-Maqhoor is out on April 3 by way of Neon Nile Records.
Fuck Berlin, Free Falasteen فک برلن، فری فلسطین by ZANJEER زنجیر
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