Egyptian Hip Hop are in that great tradition of Manchester bands who don't do what it says on the lid, whose names are full of enigmatic references and enticing red herrings. Take Stockholm Monsters, for example, who were neither Swedish nor monstrous, even if detractors found their music a bit of a nightmare. We can't think of any others, but take it from us: Mancunian rock history is literally a notch down from"littered" with bands whose names fly at you at oblique angles.
Egyptian Hip Hop, as far as we know, have never set foot in Cairo, and although rap may figure large in their record collections, you would hardly know it from the music they make. It is or at least, the two tracks by them that we've heard are rhythmical, almost funky, in an 80s Manc way, but four white boys approximating the sound of LL Cool J's Bigger and Deffer this ain't.
It's tempting to see them in Manchester terms, and indeed there are echoes of great local acts past in what they do, despite the fact that the four members are only 17 they were born at the tail end of Madchester, hence a tad young ever to experience the joys of the Hacienda, which closed in 1997. But they've obviously done their Manc homework: Heavenly, the first track on their MySpace, recalls the"baggy" indie-dance of Paris Angels, the singing typically dour and Mancunian (with lyrics that are consequently hard to decipher), contrasting with the sparkling keyboard pattern.
Rad Pitt, the other track, features the iridescent, sun-dappled guitar sound normally associated with Vinny Reilly and a liquid funky backbeat reminiscent of early Happy Mondays, the vocals which are either unison or just frontman Alexander Hewett multitracked, we can't tell having the echoey, lonesome quality of a small choir of Bernard Sumners. Their songs have been described as everything from melodic grunge to lush scuzzy pop and housey math rock, but whatever it is, it's dark but upbeat, which is very Manchester.
The band who are unsigned and have only played a handful of gigs have even got a Manc hero patron: none other than Johnny Marr, who gave Nick Delap some advice, as well as some old guitar pedals ... even some shoes, assuming from his down-at-heel appearance that he was poor and needed help. "He's like the Robin Hood of the indie world, " say Egyptian Hip Hop, who look less scruffy than they do like 00s style victims, all asymmetrical hair enhanced by brightly clashing fabrics and colours (and their clothes aren't exactly low-key, boom boom). Think Hoxton via Hulme. In fact looks-wise and musically, think Klaxons transported back to 80s Factory. - Guardian