Hear (musician)
Hear | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Sary Sehnaoui |
| Born | May 16, 1982 Beirut, Lebanon |
| Origin | Lebanese-Canadian |
| Genres | Electronic, techno, house, minimal, experimental |
| Occupation(s) | DJ, composer, music producer, film director, sound designer |
| Years active | 2003–present |
| Labels | Naissance Musik, Archipel, Synapsis Records |
| Website | Discogs |
(born in Beirut, Lebanon), known professionally as Hear (sometimes credited as Sary Sehnaoui (Hear)), is a Lebanese-Canadian DJ, composer, music producer, and filmmaker based in Berlin. He is the founder of the Berlin-based label Naissance Musik.[1]
His collaborative projects include Dream Scoring (with Hakim Murphy) and Quarter Tones (with Henrik Raabe of Wareika ),[2] and he has released music with artists such as Move D and San Proper.[3]
Sehnaoui has performed internationally at major venues and festivals, including a live set at Mutek Festival in Montreal.[4] In 2024, he co-founded Quarter Tones with Henrik Raabe, a project bridging Arabic microtonal music and contemporary electronic production, noted for its innovative use of custom-built Oud and live modular synths.[2]
Early Life and Education
Sehnaoui studied for a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Film Production at Concordia University in Montreal.[5] He began DJing in Beirut and Montreal in the early 2000s, holding residencies at The Basement (Beirut) and Salon Daomé (Montreal), and later performing at international venues including Club der Visionaere (Berlin), Watergate (Berlin), Stereo (Montreal), Mutek Festival (Montreal), Sisyphos (Berlin), and others.[6]
Career
His early visual work included directing the music video for Lumi’s “Don’t F*** With My Cat”[7] and the viral video commercial “The Basement,” which was nominated for the Viral Video Award at Interfilm Berlin .[8] His work in Beirut’s alternative art scene is cited in the book Arab Youth: Social Mobilization in Times of Risk (Cambridge Scholars Publishing), which discusses his influence as both a filmmaker and DJ.[9]
In 2017, Sehnaoui released the EP Elephantoms with Dutch artist San Proper on his label Naissance Musik.[1] The music video for the track "The Groin" was directed by Hany Tamba, who had previously won the César Award for Best Short Film in 2006.[1] In an interview with L’Orient-Le Jour, Tamba said: "When Sary played me the track, I found the music as strange as the title, ‘The Groin’… With such a name, it seemed obvious to create something related to desire, but with humor."[1]
Sehnaoui released his debut album Sonic Limbo on Archipel in 2013, followed by collaborative projects with Move D (“Distant Voices”), Hakim Murphy (Dream Scoring), and San Proper (“Elephantoms”).[3] The Resident Advisor review highlighted the atmospheric soundscapes of “Distant Voices,” describing the EP as “an engrossing piece that’s backed by two strong, stylistically opposed tracks... allowing Move D to indulge the darker side of his production psyche and HEAR with the atmospheric soundscapes he no doubt experimented with during his directorial days."[3] The tracklist for “Distant Voices” is: “Irene Birth,” “Open Spaces,” and “Montytek.”[3]
Naissance Musik releases have been featured in music press including Trommel Music, Igloo Magazine,[10] XLR8R,[11] and Lodown Magazine.[6] In 2020, he curated #TalkAboutBeirut, a multimedia event at Club der Visionaere in Berlin, aimed at raising awareness about the Beirut explosion and featuring live electronic and classical performances.[1]
Style
Hear’s music has been described as “groovy, cinematic, and modular synth-driven,” delivering “deep and warm, analogue and organic” soundscapes.[10] Lodown Magazine described him as a “selector, presenter and arranger of strange sounds… telling the night’s story, the voyage, being your tour guide.”[6] In interviews, Sehnaoui has emphasized his integration of Arabic instruments like the oud and his “eclectic vinyl digging,” adapting to the mood of diverse crowds.[12]
Discography (Selected)
- Sonic Limbo (2013, Archipel)
- Distant Voices with Move D (Archipel)
- Images of a Myth (2016, Dream Scoring, Naissance Musik)
- Elephantoms (2017, Hear & San Proper, Naissance Musik)
- Elephantoms Remixes (2020, Naissance Musik)
- Interconnections (2022, Naissance Musik)
- Cinematic Panoramas (2024, Dream Scoring, Synapsis Records)
- Silk Road Chronicles Vol. 1 (2024, Quarter Tones, Naissance Musik)
References
- ^ a b c d e "Sary Sehnaoui : Pour ne pas jeter Beyrouth dans l'oubli..." L’Orient-Le Jour (in French). 2020-09-30. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ a b "Premiere: Quarter Tones – Habibi Beirut". Trommel Music. 2024. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ a b c d "Move D & HEAR - Distant Voices EP · Single Review". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ Mutek Montreal Profile
- ^ "Les décibels berlinois de Sary Sehnaoui". L’Orient-Le Jour (in French). 2017-07-11. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ a b c "Monday Mixtape: HEAR". Lodown Magazine. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ "Lumi at Byblos Festival". Byblos Festival. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ "Interfilm Festival 2009". Interfilm Berlin. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ Arab Youth: Social Mobilization in Times of Risk. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 2014. p. 257. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ a b "Dream Scoring: Images of a Myth". Igloo Mag. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ "San Proper Becomes 'The Groin' in Trippy New Video". XLR8R. Retrieved 2025-07-12.
- ^ "Ηλεκτρονική μουσική: εκεί που η Ανατολή συναντά τη Δύση". Huffington Post Greece (in Greek). Retrieved 2025-07-12.