Even voorstellen – Imarhan, announce fourth album, ‘Essam’

out 16 January 2026 via City Slang

Jan 26 “adounia tochal” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6SgKWV6nU4

Dec 25 “azaman amoutay” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uwy5NGxWsgo&list=PLr1rv7Dl-ouz5e7ToJNEzpdjvqV2qcRAg&index=2

Nov 25 “tellalt” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxwOtboRw3w

Oct 25 "Derhan N'Oulhine" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8tOs9ZVoQc&list=PLr1rv7Dl-ouz5e7ToJNEzpdjvqV2qcRAg&index=2

Imarhan, the Tuareg desert blues innovators hailing from Algeria, today announce their bold fourth album, Essam, for release on 16 January 2026 via City Slang. The announcement is joined by the hypnotic lead single/video, "Derhan N'Oulhine" ("What The Heart Desires").

Since their formation in 2006, Imarhan - guitarist and vocalist Iyad Moussa Ben Abderahmane (Sadam), bassist Tahar Khaldi, guitarists Hicham Bouhasse and Abdelkader Ourzig, and percussionist Haiballah Akhamouk - have continually reshaped perceptions of Tuareg music. Building on the foundations of assouf (the desert blues sound made globally known by Tinariwen and Mdou Moctar), the group fuse ancient poetry and rhythm with funk, psychedelia, and pan-African groove to create something both timeless and urgently modern.

With Essam - meaning "lightning" in the Tuareg language Tamasheq - the band make their most daring leap yet. Recorded at their Aboogi Studio in the heart of Tamanrasset in southern Algeria and produced by longtime collaborator Maxime Kosinetz with some additional production by Emile Papandreou of French duo UTO, the album introduces electronic textures, expansive production and a newfound intimacy. Local artists and friends joined the sessions, contributing handclaps and vocals, heard on the evocative opening track whose intimate production signals Imarhan's new sound. Women from Tamanrasset also participated, honouring their historic role in Tuareg music - through instruments like imzad and tinde, the latter featured on the album track, "Assagasswar." Their presence is especially meaningful given the growing challenges women face in southern Algeria.

Essam carries the pulse of its surroundings: clapping friends, echoing voices, and a sense of shared space, culminating in a sweeping statement of identity and evolution. "We tried something we'd never done before; we took some risks," says Sadam. "Music allows us the freedom to try new things."

The lead single, "Derhan N'Oulhine", showcases this fearless experimentation, blending desert-rock roots with subtle electronic textures and folk motifs, anchored by a blues-inflected guitar that occasionally bursts into resonant riffs. Its accompanying video, directed by Elsa Pennachio on 8mm Bolex, mirrors the album's creation: traditional techniques and analogue processing produce a hybrid, timeless aesthetic. Film overprints, modular synth effects, and live recordings reflect both the beauty and tension of Tuareg life, caught between heritage and global modernity.

Elsewhere on Essam, Imarhan explore displacement, belonging and resilience, shaped by recent upheavals across the Sahara, from pandemic years to political instability along the Algerian-Mali border. "The refugees, the suffering, the hope - we feel all of it" says Sadam. "But life is beautiful, even in its darker moments." Their connection to togetherness and community remains central: Aboogi Studio doubles as a cultural and creative hub, nurturing young artists and preserving Tuareg traditions. "Aboogi is like a music school. We've tried to come up with ideas to help people who don't have the means to travel, to help them record some music."

Imarhan's collaboration with Damon Albarn on a stripped-back version of "Derhan N'Oulhine" for Africa Express Presents… Bahidorá (2025) hints at their growing global reach - and underscores their boundaryless approach to sound.

Ultimately, Essam is both an evolution and a homecoming. It's the sound of Tuareg music unbound, rooted in the desert, yet alive in the world.

Essam tracklist
Ahitmanin

Derhan N'Oulhine

Téllalt

Tamiditin                                            

Okcheur

Azaman Amoutay

Tin Arayth                                                      

Tinfoussen                                                                 

Adounia Tochal                                                          

Assagasswar