Mauvais Œil from France is a duo mixing lighthearted pop with Arabic influences. With a name that means ‘evil eye’, their music is influenced by Turkish psychedelic rock, as evident from their first EP from last year. Their new EP Mektoub also features some electric saz, but the music has much more of an 80s sound that has proven successful for artists like Vendredi Sur Mer or Clara Luciani. Check out the lavish video for “Mektoub”, which also comes in an Arabic version on this digital-only release from Entreprise. My favourite track is the beach-ready “Eve lève-toi”, which sounds a bit like Altin Gün.
