Summary: It’s not easy to pin down Ayman Rostom, aka The Maghreban. Rostom’s been producing music for years, but until 2014 the sounds were a long way from The Maghreban’s crumbling house. He cut his teeth as part of Surrey-based hip-hop crew Diversion Tactics, where he produced under the Dr. Zygote moniker. After a handful of solo releases, he embarked on a stylistic shift, reconnecting with the dance music of his youth and emerging with a slew of house 12″s in 2014 under the shadowy moniker The Maghreban. As an outsider, Rostom has been able to fold in his influences without feeling beholden to any of dance music’s rules. He grew up listening to his older brother’s hardcore tapes and that ragged influence is still on show in his productions. This “anything goes” outlook, along with the influence of classic hip-hop, is what anchors Rostom’s productions and what sets him apart from his peers. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that his debut FACT mix is delightfully eclectic. Rostom maintains momentum throughout but isn’t afraid to push himself into areas that might not make sense at a glance. He runs through a selection of his own vital productions into Carl Craig’s Detroit techno classic ‘Technology’ and makes a diversion for Mark Ernestus’s percussive ‘Walo Walo Rhythm’ and The Eurythmics’ ‘Monkey Monkey’ before settling back into the groove, ending on Nummer’s woozy ‘Second Sight’. It’s a rugged, heavy-duty selection that reminds you of the value of crate digging.
