Select 023: 3LIAS

Within the Lebanese scene several names became synonymous with quality underground music throughout the years. Whether you're aware of it or not, if you've partied in Beirut this past decade you will have probably come across the name 3LIAS. Also known as Stam - short for Stamina - he has been plastered over the physical as well as online walls of Lebanon on a weekly basis for well over ten years.

He played Egypt for the first time earlier this month as part of Jordanian festival Chill O'posite, that took place in Egypt's sea side resort of Dahab. A whirlwind of circumstances led us to miss his set on the second day of the festival. But due to the decisive foresight of regional dance music mogul Ahmad Ajam better known as maDJam - his comrade from the Levant, and fellow Chill O'posite roster member - who was smart enough to record all the sets and was adequately courteous to exclusively give us some of his recordings - we were able to catch up. 

Pressing play made us instantly fall in love with 3LIAS. Without a doubt one of the most genuine sounds we have heard coming out of the entire region all year. The set includes tracks by Afriqua, Simian Mobile Disco, Marco & Leo, Amorf, and many more. Just over an hour chock-full of premium gems, spanning many genres including minimal techno, micro house, acid house - as well as other old school sounds, perfectly blended with a modern twist.

Technically superb mixing, unique track selection, and a decade's worth of air time experience come together to form this 68 minute master class - don't take our word for it, maDJam recorded the sets with ambient crowd noise, if you listen close enough you can hear their pumped up cheering between breaks, a live testimonial of sorts - check it out below.Check out 3LIAS on Facebook here and follow him on Soundcloud for more tunes.