The Dwarfs Of East Agouza
The Dwarfs Of East Agouza is a Cairo-born trio formed in 2012 by Maurice Louca, Sam Shalabi, and Alan Bishop—three prolific musicians who found themselves living in the same apartment building in the city’s Agouza district. Their sound is an electrifying fusion of free jazz, krautrock, shaabi, noise, and North African rhythms, performed with a raw, improvisational intensity that feels both ancient and futuristic. Louca’s polyrhythmic loops and shimmering keys collide with Shalabi’s spiraling electric guitar and Bishop’s driving acoustic bass and occasional saxophone to form extended, trance-inducing compositions that are in constant metamorphosis.
The trio has spent over a decade developing their telepathic live chemistry, touring widely across Europe, North America, and the MENA region. Their performances are notoriously spontaneous and unpredictable—shapeshifting explorations that merge groove, chaos, and ecstatic abandon. Recent standout appearances include FIMAV in Victoriaville, Canada and the Tomorrow Festival in Shenzhen, China.
The Dwarfs’ discography includes the acclaimed debut Bes (Nawa), the sprawling Rats Don’t Eat Synthesizers (Annihaya), The Green Dogs of Dahshur (Akuphone), and two live albums: Both Sides of the Curtain (Unrock) and High Tide in the Lowlands (Sub Rosa), each capturing different facets of their freeform evolution. The band’s next full-length, Sasquatch Landslide, will be released by Constellation in Fall 2025.
Described as “noise psych outlaws,” The Dwarfs Of East Agouza have drawn comparisons to Wolf Eyes, The Ex, and early Einstürzende Neubauten—but their uncanny interplay and mutating soundscapes remain uniquely their own. Their work is a continually unfolding act of collective risk-taking, carving out ecstatic sonic terrain with every performance.
Live Dates
Contacts & Links
Press enquiries UK & North America:
Lauren Barley at Rarely Unable
Press enquiries EU:
Ed Benndorf at Dense Promotion
Artist Photos
For high-resolution downloads, click here
Videos