Vinyl Souk Releases Volume Two of VA Album ‘Made In The Emirates’

Dubai’s community-based platform Vinyl Souk is doubling down on spotlighting the alternative underground electronic scene in the UAE with a second volume of its VA compilation album, Made in the Emirates.

Since its inception, Vinyl Souk has been actively directing its efforts towards revitalising analog and vinyl culture not only within Dubai or even UAE, but across the region.

Following the inaugural edition’s exploration of the Emirates’ independent music scene, the second volume of the Made in the Emirates compilation brings together eight regional producers documenting the sounds currently shaping the country’s club landscape. Curated by Dubai-based veteran DJ/producer and founder of Ark to Ashes record store, Shadi Megallaa, the compilation features original productions from Tarik Omar, Adam Rahman, Sons of Rhythm / Rhythm Plate, Megadon Betamax, Shadi himself, OHFFF - a trio composed of Bood, Egyptian producer Omar Fayyad and Bahraini DJ Hameed - along with Nasrawai and Tacit. 

"This is a document of a scene. A group of artists shaping the sound of the UAE in real time," Shadi Megallaa tells SceneNoise. "Everyone on this record is a friend, a collaborator, and part of a growing story. It isn't the beginning, and it isn't the end; it's the now."

The artwork for the release arrives courtesy of regional illustrator Rami Afifi, who expands on the first Made in the Emirates artwork with imagery rooted in Emirati culture. At the centre is a tuned-up Nissan Super Safari climbing desert dunes, while the vinyl's centre label doubles as a spinning wheel when played on a turntable, a playful detail that bridges the physical format with the release's visual concept.

The compilation will be released as a limited 2×LP gatefold edition, pressed at 45 RPM, with only 500 copies available worldwide. Staying true to Vinyl Souk Records' ethos of championing physical media and intentional listening, the digital edition is released exclusively via Bandcamp, with no plans for a wider streaming rollout.

Made in the Emirates – Volume 2 continues Vinyl Souk Records' broader effort to archive the country's independent music culture, offering a snapshot of a scene that has steadily matured into one of the Gulf's most compelling electronic ecosystems.