Tashattot Collective brings you the second edition of Sonic Sessions Residency, bringing together three Brussels-based musicians originally from several countries in the SWANA region.

We are happy to present the three participating musicians in this year’s edition of the Sonic Session Residency, Amine Zaoui (IM’IN), Hala El Moussawi, and Hussein Rassim.

IM’IN is a Moroccan DJ/producer based between Strasbourg and Brussels. He developed his passion for music by playing the viola in an Andalusian music association. Over time, his interests expanded to include electronic music. Whether DJing or performing live, his artistic offerings cover a wide range of styles, from techno to breakbeat, all infused with melodic and percussive influences from SWANA music.

Hala El Moussawi is a singer, composer, and sound artist working at the intersection of voice, research, and storytelling. Drawing on quarter tones as both a musical and conceptual tool, her work references Arabic maqamat while overlapping states of grief, resistance, belonging, and displacement. With a background in social geography and migration studies, she approaches music as a form of research, using vocal experimentation, field recordings, and sonic imagination to translate personal and collective memory into sound.

Hussein Rassim is an Iraqi musician based in Brussels and specializing in the oud (oriental lute). He blends traditional oriental music with contemporary influences and performs in several musical projects. He is currently a member of the group Jaqâmaz, a collective that fuses jazz, Arabic maqām, and world music, as well as the group Tarab Machine, which reinterprets traditional Iraqi songs with rock and pop influences.

The Sonic Sessions Residency is an exchange program centered on music creation and designed to offer a rehearsal space and a platform to musical talent originating from the SWANA now based in Belgium. This year, participants have access to the music space at Pianofabriek, facilitating collaborative efforts and rehearsals. The program would culminate in a concert by the participating musicians held in February 2026, serving as a platform for the participants to present their collaborative works to a live audience.

Tashattot is a socio-cultural collective founded in 2022. Based in Belgium, it brings together artists and cultural practitioners from the SWANA region who have been displaced or are currently navigating life in Europe. The collective was initiated to respond to the isolation and fragmentation many artists face after migration. Its core purpose is to create a supportive network and platform for collaboration, dialogue, and visibility. Through residencies, exhibitions, concerts, workshops, and public discussions, Tashattot supports artists in continuing their practices and connecting with local and international scenes. Tashattot, meaning “dispersion” in Arabic, reflects both the realities of forced movement and the potential of scattered voices coming together to form a shared creative space.