Johnny Kafta Anti-Vegetarian Orchestra

Initially a combination of two of Lebanon's most-active and longest-standing groups, Johnny Kafta Anti-Vegetarian Orchestra was founded when Scrambled Eggs (punk rock band founded in 1998) and A Trio (free improv trio founded in 2002) joined forces and mixed styles to record Beach Party at Mirna el-Chalouhi in January 2009, combining each trio's distinctive sound to create something genuinely new, somewhere between punk and krautrock, free jazz and improvisation. Though self-released and self-distributed in a printed envelope on Al Maslakh sub-label Johnny Kafta's Kids Menu, the 2010 CD received very positive feedback, leading to several concerts in Lebanon under the band's new identity. On one occasion the band was joined by seminal American guitarist and composer Elliott Sharp, and in their European debut, they were augmented by Australian drummer Tony Buck. In August 2012, the band finally recorded this self-titled album, adding a strong element of composition to their usual improvisations to create works ranging from noisy ambient atmospheres to full-energy free rock explosions.