The much-anticipated debut EP from Sada That finally hits

Egyptian rock/new-wave band Sada That released its self-titled and much-anticipated debut EP in March, to the delight of fans thrilled to finally be able to listen to the band’s uniquely beautiful sound on-demand.

The four-member band comprises Hany Mustafa, also known as HanyMust, on guitar and vocals, Mostafa Farid on guitar, Moe “Psycho” Hani on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Karim Safwat on drums. If Sada That’s lineup seems familiar, there’s a reason: they used to be called Egoz. Founded in 2003 by then-teenagers, Egoz’s fast-paced hard-rock changed and evolved over the years and, not long after they began writing and performing in Arabic in 2015, the band realized it was time to rebrand what had become something truly different from Egoz. The new name is apt: “Sada That” translates into “echo of an ego,” and perfectly suits the band’s current sound.

The four-track EP, which runs about 20 minutes and was produced by Nanopsych Records, opens with “Bedaya,” which was the band’s first single and is the sort of song that makes you want to close your eyes, lean back, and let the music wash over you with its first few notes. Beginning with just a guitar line, the energy of the song builds under the soaring vocal line of lead singer Hany Mustafa before fading softly away at the end.

“Laffa,” the second track, was released on YouTube as a single earlier this year with a video directed by Noha Amin, and was the first track released under the band’s current name. After the almost ethereal feel of “Bedaya,” “Laffa” feels somehow more solid and pulls in an element of psychedelic rock, which is also felt in the track’s video.

The third track, “Tedrab Te2leb,” departs from the more sedentary first tracks and makes you want to get up and dance. It picks up the pace, the energy, and throws in elements of punk and hard rock that make it impossible to sit still.

“Aldebaran” is the perfect conclusion for the EP. It brings the energy down just a notch from “Tedrab Te2leb,” but doesn’t let you down too far. It keeps you guessing, almost, as the movement in the drum line pushes you forward, the harmony of backing vocals by bassist Moe “Psycho” Hani weaving into the material of the song. The moment when Mustafa’s vocals suddenly soar above the instrumentation will send shivers down your spine while drawing you deeper into the music, and as the last note of “Aldebaran” fades away, you’re left wishing there was more.