Between their label, Human By Default, their growing catalogue of productions (including a cover of Pink Floyd’s “Set Control For The Heart Of The Sun”), and their ongoing Saga residency at Pacha Ibiza, Bedouin—aka Tamer Malki and Rami Abousabe—and their reputation for eclectic yet cohesive clubbing experiences is peerless.
This season, Saga returned for its third annual takeover of Pacha Ibiza; originally starting life at Guy Laliberté’s Heart in 2017, they moved across the White Isle in 2022 to the renowned Ibiza institution they currently call home. Since then, it has grown in both scope and scale, each year getting closer and closer to its fully realised form.
Inspired by artistic giants like sculptor and painter Louise Bourgeois and surrealist/Dadaist maverick Salvador Dalí, this year’s edition broadens their scope further than previous seasons. Far-out house and techno from DJ Koze shares the bill with heavy-duty floor-fillers from Patrick Mason and the introspective electronics of James Blake, all bound together under the Bedouin banner.
As they gear up for closing season, we caught up with Rami and Tamer to talk about their Middle Eastern heritage, blending that with their Western tastes, and the future of both their label and their popular residency at Pacha Ibiza.
COMPLEX: Your Middle Eastern influences are always put front and centre in interviews and profiles, but you had formative experiences as clubbers and artists in New York and Boston. How did those early experiences shape you as DJs and producers?
Rami Abousabe: Growing up in New Jersey, just over the bridge from New York City, provided me with early access to the underground music scene. As a teenager, I began attending raves in NYC during the prime of its underground era—pre Giuliani! Back then, the experience was purely about the music, free from the distractions of phones and big screens. This immersive environment allowed me to connect with the music on a profoundly deeper level, uninterrupted by outside influences.
Tamer Malki: When I moved to Boston from Jordan in my early teen years, I quickly found myself immersed in a vibrant new world. Music had always been a cornerstone of my life, but Boston introduced me to fresh sounds and an invigorating energy unlike anything I had experienced before. My deep involvement in radio and event promotion in Boston provided me with invaluable insights, shaping my perspective as an artist today.
You both moved from Brooklyn to Miami, a city with a very strong identity when it comes to dance music. Have those new surroundings influenced you in any way?
Tamer: Our move to Miami ended up feeling like perfect timing. I think Covid had a lot to do with it. New York, with its relentless, intense energy, became even more overwhelming during the pandemic. We love New York, and we always will.
Rami: Yeah, New York will always be home, but Miami is a new home. Sometimes we find ourselves thinking, “Why did it take us so long to come to Miami?” We got to Miami and it felt like paradise. Like Tamer said, New York is not exactly the easiest place to live and landing in Miami felt like a settling, calming moment.
You’ve spoken about the importance of energy and how it relates to your music, but what other external influences do you draw from?
Rami: I can find inspiration anywhere, really. Sometimes, all it takes is a walk outside and hearing the warped sounds of music coming from a car that’s passing by, or a bird chirping outside my window, to get my brain pumping with new ideas.
Tamer: I definitely find inspiration in films and visual arts in general; I’d consider myself a film lover. But like Rami said, inspiration can come at any time, anywhere. You just have to be open to accepting it.
It’s Saga’s third year at Pacha Ibiza this year. What are some of the key differences people can see from this year’s edition?
Tamer: Our creative director, Brigitte Armengol, really went above and beyond this year with the production. The new owners of Pacha Ibiza dedicated more efforts than ever into making her vision become a reality. We still have some aspects from the previous years, but we’ve added new installations.
Rami: We are also working with an amazing visual artist called Dom, who has been able to really capture the essence of Saga in his visuals. So many DJs are doing the big LED screens with robots dancing so it can be difficult to differentiate, but I really think we’ve succeeded in doing this with Dom.
This year’s Saga line-up is quite varied, from DJ Koze to Patrick Mason to James Blake. What is your process for deciding who to book? Is there a balance you try to strike?
Rami: We strive to keep things fresh and exciting while maintaining a high level of integrity. We love welcoming back our Saga alumni each year, such as DJ Koze, Damian Lazarus, WhoMadeWho, and DJ Tennis. It’s also incredibly rewarding to provide a platform for our Human By Default label artists like Nandu, Made By Pete, Saraga, Santiago Garcia, Notre Dame, LUM, Collé and Robin M to showcase their talent at Saga. Our first time playing in Ibiza altered the trajectory of our career, and we hope we can do the same for them.
Tamer: Our creative director works tirelessly from October to February to curate the residency line-up. She collaborates closely with the Pacha Ibiza team to create a line-up that not only fits our brand but also resonates with the unique spirit of the island. Ibiza is unlike any other place; a line-up that works in NYC might not suit Ibiza, so this consideration is crucial during the booking process. No one understands this better than the Pacha Ibiza team and Brigitte.
You recently released your debut album, Temple Of Dreams, on your label, Human By Default. Musicians often talk about their relationships with their own music changing over time—are you still finding new life in the album?
Tamer: The album is actually a collection of songs we had saved for years, waiting for the perfect moment to release them as a cohesive work. Finally releasing them felt like giving them new life. Then, with the remixes by artists like Vintage Culture, Damian Lazarus, LP Giobbi and more, they were infused again with fresh energy.
Rami: Exactly that. These songs have been with us for a good length of time, enough time to realise that they’re special enough to present as an album. In the beginning, you’re not sure even if you like them yet. It’s only after years that you listen back and think to yourself: “Hey, we actually made something real here.”
Have you started to think about a follow-up album yet, or is that premature?
Tamer: We’re now focusing on making music for the dancefloor. There’s a lot of new music coming soon, just not necessarily in the form of an album.
Are there any bucket list cities or clubs you have yet to DJ at?
Rami: We’re not looking to experience cities so much as hoping that one day every city will have had the opportunity to experience us.
Love that! And finally, what more can we expect from Human By Default?
Tamer: It has been so amazing to see Human By Default grow and really gain traction this year. We hosted our first ever label party at Jolene during Miami Music Week and we cannot wait to do the next one! Just keep on listening—we promise you we’re putting out music by some of the most promising talents of this generation.
