Saafi Brothers is a German fusion electronica trance/ambient/downtempo/liquid dub project formed circa 1996 by
Gabriel Le Mar with Frankfurt-based producers
Michael Kohlbecker and
Petro Nikolaidis (
Groovetitan). As a community project, Saafi Brothers had a varying cast of collaborators over the years, including
Alex Azary and
Luca Anzilotti; however, Gabriel Le Mar and Michael Kohlbecker are the sole permanent members. Saafi Brothers extensively performed live throughout their career, participating in many prestigious festivals, such as [l1937274], [l1729447], [l737107], [l270767], and Tribal Gathering. In March 2022, Saafi Brothers released its 7th studio album,
[m=2555195].
The band's debut release,
[m=28932], came out in November 1997 on the British label Blue Room Released, with 3xLP package and several CD editions available. Established by a British designer
Simon Ghahary with financial backing from [l409097], Blue Room Released was the first audiophile label that brought underground electronic music (acts like
Total Eclipse,
The Infinity Project,
Juno Reactor or
X-Dream) to the Hi-Fi forefront, challenging the monopoly of classical, opera and jazz repertoire as traditional reference genres. Between 1997 and '99, Saafi Brothers released three 12 EPs at BRR. In June 2000, they produced the second full-length album,
[m=28937] CD/2xLP, distributed overseas via the label's California-based [l11263] division. Saafi Brothers remixed other artists, including pioneers of German hip-hop
Die Fantastischen Vier, British new wave poet
Anne Clark, Swedish ambient project
Carbon Based Lifeforms and renowned German club music duo
Jam & Spoon. The band regularly appeared on the German TV show [l390568], which gained a cult following broadcasted at chillout zones at mid-90s raves.
In March 2003, Saafi Brothers returned with a third album,
[m=28942] CD/2xLP, featuring a more dance-oriented sound and released by the band's newly-created joint [l13796]/[l13701] label, distributed by EFA and promoted under [l3449] brand. In 2007, the band's fourth album
[m=737054] came out, jointly released by [l36698] in Germany and [l157060] in USA. Saafi Brothers continued fusion experiments, blending multiple genres and working with the band's early member, Alex Azary, and a duo of traditional Persian musicians.
In February 2014, Saafi Brothers produced
Live On The Roadblog album, recorded live at the Bunker/Frankfurt studio and initially available as a digital-only release from Danish trance label [l9174]. The release featured vocals based on
George DIN's lyrics and several guest members:
Luca Anzilotti on various electronic devices,
Groovetitan on modular synths, and
Rikta Schaden playing
dilrupa (traditional Indian bowed instrument). In May 2015, Live on the Roadblog was
reissued on CD in the United States by [l580929] as an inaugural release for the [l863323] series; the limited edition of 300 copies came in Digipak with an 8-page booklet designed by Simon Ghahary, Saafi's first label boss. The reissue included a bonus track, Moving Crossroads, also available as a
digital EP with four remixes from Gabriel's private imprint, [l227491].
In 2017, Saafi Brothers got signed by a renowned UK label LSD (sister of [l356]), which presented the band's sixth full-length studio digital/CD album,
[m=1200064]. A collection of remixes accompanied the release, with
Part 1 and
Part 2 available in various digital formats on the label's Bandcamp. In May 2019, Saafi Brothers and LSD released a collection of remixes from the band's debut album,
[m=1647982], available digitally and on CD in a 4-panel digisleeve. In February 2021, a
limited edition 12 EP followed with four selected remixes by LSD's label boss
Martin Youth Glover,
Jam El Mar,
Marcello Baccheschi (a.k.a. DM-Theory), and Swiss-based artist
Ajja.