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On October 23, Tunisian-born/New York-based experimental singer Emel will release ‘The Tunis Diaries’ – a double EP that features a collection of newly recorded reworks from Emel’s catalog (‘Day’), paired with an eclectic selection of covers (‘Night’). Equipped with only a laptop, tape recorder, and a classical guitar she crowdsourced from a local fan via Facebook, Emel created ‘The Tunis Diaries’ entirely in Tunis after she was unexpectedly quarantined in her childhood home this Spring. The resulting project is a back-to-basics exploration of Emel’s roots, as well as a spontaneous and complex reflection on her relationship to her homeland. Two tracks from ‘The Tunis Diaries’ are available now – “Holm,” and a cover of David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold The World.”

Emel isn't interested in being typecast as an exotic North African. For people who still haven't heard her ground her honeyed vocals in heavy, distorted electronics, and whose theatrical stage presence and arresting visuals call to mind the likes of Kate Bush and Björk — it's still useful to know how she rose onto stages across the world and become an anthemic voice during the Arab Spring. NPR