Previously unheard Nechazz album recorded in late-1980s Amman arrives via Habibi Funk
The archival album, titled ‘Pieces of a Dream’, showcases smooth harmonies, synthesisers and polished pop arrangements shaped by R&B, jazz and city pop influences
Habibi Funk has unearthed ‘Pieces of a Dream’, a previously unreleased album recorded by Palestinian-Jordanian and Iraqi group Nechazz in a small eight-track home studio in Amman between 1988 and 1989.
The recordings document a lesser-known strand of Jordan’s late-1980s music scene, shaped by jazz, soul, R&B, yacht rock and city pop. Drawing inspiration from artists including Bobby Caldwell, Steely Dan, Michael Franks, George Michael, Tears For Fears, Level 42 and Stevie Wonder, the album centres on smooth harmonies, synthesisers and polished pop arrangements.
Nechazz was formed by Palestinian-Jordanian musician Basim Said and Khaldoon Nasser alongside Iraqi singer and guitarist Kassim Sabounchi. The trio became known locally through performances at Amman club Rumours, but the music they wrote and recorded together was never officially released and remained largely unheard, including among the musicians’ friends and families.
The project resurfaced decades later after a cassette containing the recordings was discovered in a family archive, bringing the group’s late-1980s work into circulation for the first time.
‘Pieces of a Dream’ is available digitally and on CD, regular black vinyl and a Bandcamp-exclusive edition of 300 copies pressed on transparent coke-bottle-green vinyl, accompanied by a 12-inch booklet featuring previously unseen photographs and extensive liner notes drawn from interviews with the artists; the Bandcamp-exclusive limited edition will not be repressed.
