Prefaces is a Lebanese trio made up of long-standing members of Beirut’s independent music scene: Charif Megarbane (Habibi Funk, Cosmic Analog Ensemble, Hisstology Records), Salim Naffah (Alko B), and Pascal Semerdjian (Postcards, SANAM).On their sophomore album Acqua Marina, the band explore the desolate beach clubs along Lebanon’s coastline, turning a chance encounter into a lasting nmusical partnership.With its electric guitar interplays, vibrato action, and galloping rhythms, debut album Hippodrome (Hisstology Records, 2021) introduced Prefaces’ distinctive take on surf rock and Mediterranean guitar music—a rich blend of cultures, genres, and traditions.East and West meet again on Acqua Marina, recorded at Beirut’s Tunefork Studios and co-released by Ruptured and Hisstology Records.Where Hippodrome captured the energy of spontaneous collaboration, Acqua Marina marks the band’s evolution into a more deliberate and unified project— and the album reflects that growth.The songs may have moved from land to sea, but the group’s sound has matured, expanding to include nods to library music, Levantine breaks, and coastal psychedelia.The types of fish catalogued in the song titles and the wintry, abandoned swimming pool on the cover hint at the themes running through the record: the desolation and coldness of Lebanon’s off-season beach clubs, their concrete walls and vacant spaces roamed only by those waiting for the sun—and the crowds—to return.It’s hard not to see these seasonal images as allegory for Lebanon’s prolonged political winter.Yet Acqua Marina overflows with vitality, inspired performances, and the luminosity of serendipitous collaboration—shining much-needed light into our darker seasons.Track List:
