Emad & Mazen are Nigerian born Syrian twin brothers, both culturally diverse and multi-talented. These multinational brothers have carved a niche for themselves in their individual capacities as creatives.

Emad is an accomplished Disc jockey (DJ) and Visual artist who is focused on Minimal House/Techno while paying special attention to rhythms with Jazz and tribal influence.

Mazen, on the other hand is an Architecture, Design and Painting maestro who expresses himself through his art and sees himself in the colors he uses in his works. The multidisciplinary artist has also ventured into Fashion design, recently concluding a 3 month apprenticeship in menswear design.

We spoke to the twins individually from their homes in hopes of exploring their experiences and to get better acquainted with their arts.

Emad: I have always loved music, I first began working with DJ equipment during my second year of university but my first attempts at curating music was when I was a little boy when I would try to make mixtapes , using cassette and recording the songs unto other cassettes.

However, my earliest interaction with music dates as far back as when I was a toddler. This was when my twin and I figured out how to change the TV channel and we would always end up on the music channel, listening to the only music genre available to us at the time; Arabic Pop.

–You’re a DJ and visual artist, how did you transition from making sounds to making visuals? 

Emad; It actually happened the other way round. I have always been a visually inclined person and while the tools and equipment for DJ-ing are expensive and inaccessible to a kid, the tools for visual arts always were; A pencil and colors. I later transferred my love for the visual into the digital with Microsoft paint before I then moved into Adobe suite and then taught myself how to use those with YouTube tutorials.

–A lot of people hear “DJ” and think “fun time/party” but we only get to see the final bits of a long process. How would you describe this process; from the first time you hear a song to deciding which audience will enjoy it most?

Emad; This a great question. Most people do not account for the process which in the DJ world is called “music digging”. The best way to describe this process is by saying it is always ongoing… anywhere I go and anything I hear can factor into this never-ending search for music. Initially, I would scour through commercial DJ websites looking for songs that struck my fancy but as time progressed, I found that one of the best sources is YouTube music.

After finding the music, the next step would be either purchasing a high quality version of it or if the song is only released on vinyl, then finding a digital version of it would be next.

–Where was your favorite session playing as a DJ and what has been your favorite experience listening to another DJ?

Emad; Favorite gig so far is the Bush Bar Sessions (IG: @bushbarsessions) that occured in March 2022, because I had the opportunity to play next to one of my favourite DJs from Lebanon, 3lias…I grew up listening to his DJ sets and hoping that I can someday play the way he does, so it was literally a small dream come true. As for my favorite experience listening to another DJ, there are too many to count but one that comes to mind is Cabanne, in Beirut, winter of 2021; I danced for 8 hours non-stop!

–Tell us about Bush Bar sessions… Who were the brains behind it and how did it start?

Emad; Bush Bar sessions essentially started as a response to the lack of electronic music in Abuja’s nightlife. Back when I used to DJ at a club in Abuja, I would always get harped on at to by the management to play more commercial music, remixes of rocks or pop songs etc. Although I was grateful to have a gig at the time, I found it insulting when people would come up to me and ask me to play something they can dance to. As far as I’m concerned, House and Techno is perfect for Dancing but the crowd obviously weren’t seeing things my way.

Eventually, I and some group of friends decided to create an unapologetically underground music party in Abuja where no such scene existed before. Some of the original team members are no longer in an official capacity but today, the main team comprises myself and Stephanie Hakim as the Creative Directors, Abayomi Akande as our Printing, Photography and videography expert. We all put in an effort during setup and the general decision making happens on consensus; Everybody’s input is valuable.

.

Emad; There is a long way to go in terms of educating the public here about the history and future of electronic music, especially if we are to be playing underground music. The crowd needs to be well informed in order to really appreciate what the significance of this music is to our scene. Taking a commercially driven crowd from Electronic dance music (EDM) to Underground house and Techno takes a lot of patience.

The idea of making Abuja a known city for the African House/Techno scene with perhaps a yearly festival that brings people from around the world right here to our backyards gets me really excited. However, this is a process that will take a long time; perhaps years to be actualized because the public needs to fall in love with this genre of music like I did years ago, in order to appreciate what we’re doing here.

–What are two of your favorite songs, and are there any local artists (Audio/Visual) in Syria or Nigeria that gets you excited?

Emad; I wouldn’t say I have any favorite songs, each song has a time and place and when the time is right, then any song can very well be a favorite. I do have some top labels and artists though, specifically Nervmusic (Label) and its bossman/resident producer Denis Kaznacheev. I am also a big fan of Silat Beksi and Direkt as producers also.

As for local artists, I tend to focus more on the visual arts in Nigeria, as opposed to music (since not much is being done when it comes to electronic dance music). I really enjoy the works of Williams Chechet.

–What does a good life mean to you? And do you think, as surreal as it is sounds, that it is possible to live a good life?

Emad; For me, a good life is one that is filled with love, security and Purpose. Love gives us a reason to be kind and good to others, Security gives us a roof over our heads, a place to feel safe and Purpose gives us a reason to wake up in the morning and keep going. I really do believe that these things are achievable, although it might be harder for some than it is for others.

Emad; Exercise! Although I have been off the wagon for a while, I have come to realize that my mind is sharper and I am generally happier when I am keeping my body active one way or the other.

–People are struggling a lot this year (as with last year), especially people who rely on the use of their minds to make magic (creatives), do you have any positive words to share? Something to keep us moving forward.

Emad; What a time we are living through. To anyone who is struggling and reading this right now, please have in mind that no great work of art was ever created without adversity and one thing that truly connects every great artist is adversity. If you are struggling to make ends meet, there is very little I can say to ameliorate that but be encouraged by the fact that your contribution to society is very much needed and appreciated.

If you as an artist are able to get a job in these trying times, please do. And is for any reason you are unable to, then it is important that you find a way to commercialize your art even though that literally is the antithesis of true art. But then again, these are the times we live in. Reach out to your fellow artists if you need to and please remember that you are not alone…

Mazen ; I believe my love for art started through a 5th grade animal project. We were each assigned an animal and we had to make a presentation about it. Emad and I were asked to make sketches of animals and we both had no idea how to do that, then a friend of our older sister helped us out by making a painting for each of us. She showed us how we could enlarge a small image onto a canvas using grid lines as our frame of reference, it was a really amazing thing to behold for the first time and then I remember how everyone in our class loved them. It was then that I understood that through art, we can express things we see around us and the process linked with it and by sharing with others, we can get people together and hear different opinions.

As for Architecture, that didn’t start until I got into the university where I started out as a Civil engineering student because I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father. But after a year, I realized I wasn’t happy and it felt like something was missing because everything was always technical and there was no room for creative input. And then I met a friend who was in the design department and I decided to visit the design department after talking with them, then I realized the Architectural department was where technicality and creativity comes together.

–How has your multicultural life- Syrian heritage, Nigerian upbringing, significant time in the USA- influenced your art? 

Mazen ; It has influenced my personality a lot and I believe my art is a reflection of my personality in a lot of instances. People like me are labeled ‘Third culture kids’ which translates to an individual that has three different cultures influencing them. As a third culture kid, I think I am more comfortable with lack of symmetry and division in art because I find similar divisions in my personal life. I use different divided spaces in a piece with different inspirations for each space and then when the entire composition comes together; just like my personality, it finds a way to make it work.

– Your artwork has such a strong sense of geometric patterns, from the lines to the colors. Can you tell us about your process, what goes into conceptualizing these patterns for your sketches and paintings? 

Mazen ; so many of my artworks start with one line. It is incredible how just a little scribble can turn into a full composition. This is the same process used when conceptualizing an architectural establishment; most times you start with a shape like a square, triangle or circle.

One of my favorite personal pieces is talking about this process exactly and I ended up naming the painting “A kiss on the cheek” because the painting was inspired by the wrinkles that occur on the lips when in this position. I started out by making sketches of what that suction movement looks like and then used a simple line-star division of the canvas. From there, the painting ended up raising so many different parts of my personality and career.

When designing a space, what is the most important factor for you?

Mazen; I would have to say that there is no such thing as the most important factor. Like our bodies, if one organ fails, the entire body will suffer. So it is in Architecture, from circulation, to function, to aesthetics all play an equally important role in making the space successful.

Mazen; my favorite color is grey. There is an incredible amount of grey one can develop on a palette. You can mix it with any color and it would still retain it’s original grey quality, something about the resilience and power draws me to it. It is a color that mixes with any other color without fear of changing. It is confident, powerful, competitive and dramatic. It is in the light and in the dark and there’s just so much to keep discovering about it.

-Are there any interior design trends you are sick of?

Mazen; There are quite a few, but one that really gets of my nerves is the use of iron bars on windows. I know it is necessary for security in some places but it is something I would rather live without. Something about a window with bars on it makes me feel like I’m in the stone era.

Mazen; I have to give a lot of credit to my oldest sister Khulood and her friends. One of her friends who is now an architect in Lagos was one of the biggest artistic inspirations for myself and Emad. She always had an interesting project up her sleeve. Whether it was making jewelry from stones in Yankari, helping us with some school projects or taking advantage of youth and applying makeup on us as children, my sister and her friends were always a great example of how art can make life so much more beautiful and fun.

–What is your favorite and least favorite thing about having a twin brother?

Mazen; My favorite part of being a twin is knowing there was always someone to turn to for advise and whatever I bring up between us would always stay between us if I want it that way.

The worst part has to be growing up learning that we have to move our own way. I never thought that Emad and I would ever be far apart of leading different lives before it actually happened.

–What does a good life mean to you and do you think, as surreal as it sounds, that it is possible to have a good life?

Mazen; Good? Bad? I feel like life cannot be labeled in such terms. Think about cooking a steak, that steak can be well done, medium or rare but the steak is always the same piece of meat. It all comes down to how the cook decided to make it and what spices and recipe is used. Life is all about attitude, no one has a perfect life. We always want more than we have in one sense or the other. However, if we choose to be grateful and truly enjoy what we have at any moment, then our lives would be happier.

–What are some of your life hacks or mantras? Something you do every other day that helps you cope with life.

Mazen; Every once in a while, I have a time of depression or lack of satisfaction. I find myself wanting to reach my goals immediately or wishing I had something I did not. When that happens, I always take a step back and say “Alhamdulillah”; this is an Arabic word that means “Thanks be to God”. Saying it out loud is very important for my mental health as it is a constant reminder that I have so much to be thankful for and also to count my blessings.

–People are struggling a lot this year (as with last year), especially people who rely on the use of their minds to make magic (creatives), do you have any positive words to share? Something to keep us moving forward.

Mazen; This period of time has truly been a dry spell for us creatives. Whether it is the increased price of resources or lack of motivation. It has truly been challenging to find inspiration. The best advice I can give is, listen to music. Even if you can’t come up with something yourself, try and appreciate what others are doing. I personally find that music is a very ideal way to release creative energy and get inspired.

That’s the best way to lay back and think about a new direction. Do your best and be honest to yourself and with that approach towards regaining momentum, one can’t possibly go wrong.

Instagram –     @mazoon64           @sygerian              @ozoza__

Emad & Mazen are Nigerian born Syrian twin brothers, both culturally diverse and multi-talented. These multinational brothers have carved a niche for themselves in their individual capacities as creatives.

Emad is an accomplished Disc jockey (DJ) and Visual artist who is focused on Minimal House/Techno while paying special attention to rhythms with Jazz and tribal influence.

Mazen, on the other hand is an Architecture, Design and Painting maestro who expresses himself through his art and sees himself in the colors he uses in his works. The multidisciplinary artist has also ventured into Fashion design, recently concluding a 3 month apprenticeship in menswear design.

We spoke to the twins individually from their homes in hopes of exploring their experiences and to get better acquainted with their arts.

Emad: I have always loved music, I first began working with DJ equipment during my second year of university but my first attempts at curating music was when I was a little boy when I would try to make mixtapes , using cassette and recording the songs unto other cassettes.

However, my earliest interaction with music dates as far back as when I was a toddler. This was when my twin and I figured out how to change the TV channel and we would always end up on the music channel, listening to the only music genre available to us at the time; Arabic Pop.

–You’re a DJ and visual artist, how did you transition from making sounds to making visuals? 

Emad; It actually happened the other way round. I have always been a visually inclined person and while the tools and equipment for DJ-ing are expensive and inaccessible to a kid, the tools for visual arts always were; A pencil and colors. I later transferred my love for the visual into the digital with Microsoft paint before I then moved into Adobe suite and then taught myself how to use those with YouTube tutorials.

–A lot of people hear “DJ” and think “fun time/party” but we only get to see the final bits of a long process. How would you describe this process; from the first time you hear a song to deciding which audience will enjoy it most?

Emad; This a great question. Most people do not account for the process which in the DJ world is called “music digging”. The best way to describe this process is by saying it is always ongoing… anywhere I go and anything I hear can factor into this never-ending search for music. Initially, I would scour through commercial DJ websites looking for songs that struck my fancy but as time progressed, I found that one of the best sources is YouTube music.

After finding the music, the next step would be either purchasing a high quality version of it or if the song is only released on vinyl, then finding a digital version of it would be next.

–Where was your favorite session playing as a DJ and what has been your favorite experience listening to another DJ?

Emad; Favorite gig so far is the Bush Bar Sessions (IG: @bushbarsessions) that occured in March 2022, because I had the opportunity to play next to one of my favourite DJs from Lebanon, 3lias…I grew up listening to his DJ sets and hoping that I can someday play the way he does, so it was literally a small dream come true. As for my favorite experience listening to another DJ, there are too many to count but one that comes to mind is Cabanne, in Beirut, winter of 2021; I danced for 8 hours non-stop!

–Tell us about Bush Bar sessions… Who were the brains behind it and how did it start?

Emad; Bush Bar sessions essentially started as a response to the lack of electronic music in Abuja’s nightlife. Back when I used to DJ at a club in Abuja, I would always get harped on at to by the management to play more commercial music, remixes of rocks or pop songs etc. Although I was grateful to have a gig at the time, I found it insulting when people would come up to me and ask me to play something they can dance to. As far as I’m concerned, House and Techno is perfect for Dancing but the crowd obviously weren’t seeing things my way.

Eventually, I and some group of friends decided to create an unapologetically underground music party in Abuja where no such scene existed before. Some of the original team members are no longer in an official capacity but today, the main team comprises myself and Stephanie Hakim as the Creative Directors, Abayomi Akande as our Printing, Photography and videography expert. We all put in an effort during setup and the general decision making happens on consensus; Everybody’s input is valuable.

.

Emad; There is a long way to go in terms of educating the public here about the history and future of electronic music, especially if we are to be playing underground music. The crowd needs to be well informed in order to really appreciate what the significance of this music is to our scene. Taking a commercially driven crowd from Electronic dance music (EDM) to Underground house and Techno takes a lot of patience.

The idea of making Abuja a known city for the African House/Techno scene with perhaps a yearly festival that brings people from around the world right here to our backyards gets me really excited. However, this is a process that will take a long time; perhaps years to be actualized because the public needs to fall in love with this genre of music like I did years ago, in order to appreciate what we’re doing here.

–What are two of your favorite songs, and are there any local artists (Audio/Visual) in Syria or Nigeria that gets you excited?

Emad; I wouldn’t say I have any favorite songs, each song has a time and place and when the time is right, then any song can very well be a favorite. I do have some top labels and artists though, specifically Nervmusic (Label) and its bossman/resident producer Denis Kaznacheev. I am also a big fan of Silat Beksi and Direkt as producers also.

As for local artists, I tend to focus more on the visual arts in Nigeria, as opposed to music (since not much is being done when it comes to electronic dance music). I really enjoy the works of Williams Chechet.

–What does a good life mean to you? And do you think, as surreal as it is sounds, that it is possible to live a good life?

Emad; For me, a good life is one that is filled with love, security and Purpose. Love gives us a reason to be kind and good to others, Security gives us a roof over our heads, a place to feel safe and Purpose gives us a reason to wake up in the morning and keep going. I really do believe that these things are achievable, although it might be harder for some than it is for others.

Emad; Exercise! Although I have been off the wagon for a while, I have come to realize that my mind is sharper and I am generally happier when I am keeping my body active one way or the other.

–People are struggling a lot this year (as with last year), especially people who rely on the use of their minds to make magic (creatives), do you have any positive words to share? Something to keep us moving forward.

Emad; What a time we are living through. To anyone who is struggling and reading this right now, please have in mind that no great work of art was ever created without adversity and one thing that truly connects every great artist is adversity. If you are struggling to make ends meet, there is very little I can say to ameliorate that but be encouraged by the fact that your contribution to society is very much needed and appreciated.

If you as an artist are able to get a job in these trying times, please do. And is for any reason you are unable to, then it is important that you find a way to commercialize your art even though that literally is the antithesis of true art. But then again, these are the times we live in. Reach out to your fellow artists if you need to and please remember that you are not alone…

Mazen ; I believe my love for art started through a 5th grade animal project. We were each assigned an animal and we had to make a presentation about it. Emad and I were asked to make sketches of animals and we both had no idea how to do that, then a friend of our older sister helped us out by making a painting for each of us. She showed us how we could enlarge a small image onto a canvas using grid lines as our frame of reference, it was a really amazing thing to behold for the first time and then I remember how everyone in our class loved them. It was then that I understood that through art, we can express things we see around us and the process linked with it and by sharing with others, we can get people together and hear different opinions.

As for Architecture, that didn’t start until I got into the university where I started out as a Civil engineering student because I wanted to follow in the footsteps of my father. But after a year, I realized I wasn’t happy and it felt like something was missing because everything was always technical and there was no room for creative input. And then I met a friend who was in the design department and I decided to visit the design department after talking with them, then I realized the Architectural department was where technicality and creativity comes together.

–How has your multicultural life- Syrian heritage, Nigerian upbringing, significant time in the USA- influenced your art? 

Mazen ; It has influenced my personality a lot and I believe my art is a reflection of my personality in a lot of instances. People like me are labeled ‘Third culture kids’ which translates to an individual that has three different cultures influencing them. As a third culture kid, I think I am more comfortable with lack of symmetry and division in art because I find similar divisions in my personal life. I use different divided spaces in a piece with different inspirations for each space and then when the entire composition comes together; just like my personality, it finds a way to make it work.

– Your artwork has such a strong sense of geometric patterns, from the lines to the colors. Can you tell us about your process, what goes into conceptualizing these patterns for your sketches and paintings? 

Mazen ; so many of my artworks start with one line. It is incredible how just a little scribble can turn into a full composition. This is the same process used when conceptualizing an architectural establishment; most times you start with a shape like a square, triangle or circle.

One of my favorite personal pieces is talking about this process exactly and I ended up naming the painting “A kiss on the cheek” because the painting was inspired by the wrinkles that occur on the lips when in this position. I started out by making sketches of what that suction movement looks like and then used a simple line-star division of the canvas. From there, the painting ended up raising so many different parts of my personality and career.

When designing a space, what is the most important factor for you?

Mazen; I would have to say that there is no such thing as the most important factor. Like our bodies, if one organ fails, the entire body will suffer. So it is in Architecture, from circulation, to function, to aesthetics all play an equally important role in making the space successful.

Mazen; my favorite color is grey. There is an incredible amount of grey one can develop on a palette. You can mix it with any color and it would still retain it’s original grey quality, something about the resilience and power draws me to it. It is a color that mixes with any other color without fear of changing. It is confident, powerful, competitive and dramatic. It is in the light and in the dark and there’s just so much to keep discovering about it.

-Are there any interior design trends you are sick of?

Mazen; There are quite a few, but one that really gets of my nerves is the use of iron bars on windows. I know it is necessary for security in some places but it is something I would rather live without. Something about a window with bars on it makes me feel like I’m in the stone era.

Mazen; I have to give a lot of credit to my oldest sister Khulood and her friends. One of her friends who is now an architect in Lagos was one of the biggest artistic inspirations for myself and Emad. She always had an interesting project up her sleeve. Whether it was making jewelry from stones in Yankari, helping us with some school projects or taking advantage of youth and applying makeup on us as children, my sister and her friends were always a great example of how art can make life so much more beautiful and fun.

–What is your favorite and least favorite thing about having a twin brother?

Mazen; My favorite part of being a twin is knowing there was always someone to turn to for advise and whatever I bring up between us would always stay between us if I want it that way.

The worst part has to be growing up learning that we have to move our own way. I never thought that Emad and I would ever be far apart of leading different lives before it actually happened.

–What does a good life mean to you and do you think, as surreal as it sounds, that it is possible to have a good life?

Mazen; Good? Bad? I feel like life cannot be labeled in such terms. Think about cooking a steak, that steak can be well done, medium or rare but the steak is always the same piece of meat. It all comes down to how the cook decided to make it and what spices and recipe is used. Life is all about attitude, no one has a perfect life. We always want more than we have in one sense or the other. However, if we choose to be grateful and truly enjoy what we have at any moment, then our lives would be happier.

–What are some of your life hacks or mantras? Something you do every other day that helps you cope with life.

Mazen; Every once in a while, I have a time of depression or lack of satisfaction. I find myself wanting to reach my goals immediately or wishing I had something I did not. When that happens, I always take a step back and say “Alhamdulillah”; this is an Arabic word that means “Thanks be to God”. Saying it out loud is very important for my mental health as it is a constant reminder that I have so much to be thankful for and also to count my blessings.

–People are struggling a lot this year (as with last year), especially people who rely on the use of their minds to make magic (creatives), do you have any positive words to share? Something to keep us moving forward.

Mazen; This period of time has truly been a dry spell for us creatives. Whether it is the increased price of resources or lack of motivation. It has truly been challenging to find inspiration. The best advice I can give is, listen to music. Even if you can’t come up with something yourself, try and appreciate what others are doing. I personally find that music is a very ideal way to release creative energy and get inspired.

That’s the best way to lay back and think about a new direction. Do your best and be honest to yourself and with that approach towards regaining momentum, one can’t possibly go wrong.

Instagram –     @mazoon64           @sygerian              @ozoza__