Bawrut's Debut Album 'In the Middle' Celebrates Mediterranean Crossroads

Bawrut, the alias of Gorizia-born producer and DJ Borut Viola, released his debut album 'In the Middle' in November 2021 via London's Ransom Note, a label and online magazine. The 11-track limited edition vinyl is accompanied by a fanzine featuring works from 11 visual artists from Egypt, Italy, Spain, France, Lebanon, Croatia, and Greece, curated by Rocio Mateos Garcias, who also created the album's artwork and fanzine. The project explores themes of identity, polarization, migration, and dance through electronic/dance music. Vocal contributions include Cosmo in Italian, LIBERATO in Neapolitan, Glitter in Arabic, and Chico Blanco in Spanish. Bawrut describes the album as a celebration of the Mediterranean's multicultural heritage, opposing nationalism and xenophobia. He aims to restore political and creative depth to electronic music, which he feels has lost its edge to commercialism.