Listen/buy Vinyl LP here
The Handover is as much a ritual as it is an ensemble. The trio, consisting of Aly Eissa (oud, Egypt), Ayman Asfour (violin, Egypt), and Jonas Cambien (vintage organ/synth, Belgium/Norway), is blessed with a near-telepathic musical sensitivity that renders each live performance a singular, nuanced experience, grooving deeply despite the absence of percussion. Inspired by the hypnotic, trance-inducing music of Egypt’s Nile Delta, fueled by kraut-like riffs and the intensity of '60s avant-garde jazz, and channelled through roguish improvisation, The Handover’s sound is veritable psychedelia. It is at once futuristic and primordial, yet, with the utter urgency of its testament, it demands lucidity.
One long musical voyage that swells and builds without break; three musicians shaping an acoustic world with only their instruments. A set composition that invites space for play, shifting slightly each time with the improvisational nuances of the musicians. This is what one can expect from a Handover show. Since its beginnings, The Handover has gained a strong live reputation with performances at Rewire Festival in The Hague, Counterflows Festival in Glasgow, BRDCST Festival in Brussels, Jazzfest Berlin, Copenhagen Jazz Festival, Motvind Festival, Oslo World Festival, and clubs across Europe, the UK, and Egypt. In 2025, The Handover was selected for an official showcase at WOMEX. Their self-titled debut (2025) was released on Sublime Frequencies to critical acclaim. A sophomore album, New Old Medicine/منه فيه, is set for a 2026 release, continuing The Handover’s collusion with Sublime Frequencies. Like its predecessor, this album cements the trio’s sound as something exceptionally rare, yet undeniably rooted.
''defying the laws of physics and floating skywards'' * * * * * - Songlines Magazine
''ferocious and forceful'' - the Wire
''A masterful, timeless recording.'' - Ley Lines
''one of the best Sublime Frequencies releases I've heard'' - Dave Segal
''deeply thrilling and transformative'' - Magnet Magazine
50 best albums of 2024 in El Pais
20 best folk albums of 2024 in Treblezine
Best Albums 2024 | Kalporz Awards
2024 Rewind: Contributors’ Charts - The Wire
Best Of 2024: Jazz/Improv - Magnet Magazine
Upcoming concerts:
12.06.2026 KM28, Berlin (DE)
14.06.2026 Respect Festival, Prague (CZ)
16.06.2026 Ponava Café, Brno (CZ)
17.06.2026 JazzaJ, Budapest (HU)
23.06.2026 Echoraum, Vienna (A)
26.06.2026 Kreuzberger HofFestSpiele, Expedition Metropolis, Berlin (DE)
28.06.2026 Fusion Festival, Germany (DE)
8.08.2026 Ancient Trance Festival, Taucha (DE)
Fall tour 15 Oct - 5 Nov TBA soon
Past concerts:
09.02.2026 Jesuit Center, Alexandria (EG)
07.02.2026 Underground Social, Cairo (EG)
07.11.2025 Turkis, Aarhus (DK)
6.11.2025 Sorte Firkant, Copenhagen (DK)
04.11.2025 Tou Scene, Stavanger (NO)
02.11.2025 Jazzfest Berlin (DE)
30.10.2025 Oslo World (NO)
26.10.2025 Skogen, Gothenburg (SE)
23.10.2025 WOMEX, Tampere (FI)
28.08.2025 Summer Bummer Festival, Antwerpen (BE)
24.08.2025 Baignade Sauvage Festival, Vallée du Tarn (FR)
21.08.2025 Arboretum Lab, Geneve (CH)
16.08.2025 Music for the Eyes, Långban (SE)
27.06.2025 Tumult Festival, Sunne (SE)
06.04.2025 BRDCST Festival, Brussels (BE)
05.04.2025 Rewire Festival, Den Haag (NL)
04.04.2025 Cobalt Studios, Newcastle (UK)
03.04.2025 Counterflows Festival, Glasgow (UK)
02.04.2025 Islington Mill Club Space, Manchester (UK)
01.04.2025 Wharf Chambers, Leeds (UK)
30.03.2025 Bishops' House, Sheffield (UK)
28.03.2025 POM, Eindhoven (NL)
27.03.2025 Le Relais Pantin, Paris (FR)
23.03.2025 OCCII, Amsterdam (NL)
22.03.2025 WORM, Rotterdam (NL)
15.03.2025 Romantso, Athens (GR)
14.03.2025 Kotetsi, Thessaloniki (GR)
27.11.2024 De Bijloke, Gent (BE)
26.11.2024 STUK, Leuven (BE)
25.11.2024 Klankhaven, Antwerpen (BE)
21.11.2024 Riwaq, Berlin (DE)
19.11.2024 La Croix Blanche, Undervellier (CH)
17.11.2024 Cave 12, Geneve (CH)
15.11.2024 Le Relais Pantin (FR)
13.11.2024 Fragment, Metz (FR)
8.11.2024 Resonator Festival, Odense (DK)
7.11.2024 Huset, Aalborg (DK)
6.11.2024 Nordic Nights, Malmö (SE)
26.07.2024 Fanø Free Folk Festival (DK)
20.07.2024 Expedition Metropolis, Berlin (DE)
16.07.2024 Morphine, Berlin (DE)
12.07.2024 Copenhagen Jazz Festival (DK)
23.06.2024 Motvind Festival, Gildetunet (NO)
22.06.2024 Motvind Festival, Amfiet (NO)
20.06.2024 Becco, Oslo (NO)
17.11.2023 PRESENT Festival, Toonzaal, Den Bosch (NL)
18.11.2023 Wunderkammer, CC Stroombeek, Grimbergen (BE)
20.11.2023 Klein, Copenhagen (DK)
21.11.2023 Teater Momentum, Odense (DK)
06.06.2023 Underground Social, Cairo (EG)
03.06.2023 Zest Studio, Alexandria (EG)
02.06.2023 Jesuit Centre, Alexandria (EG)
30.05.2023 Cairo Jazz Club, Cairo (EG)
26.05.2023 All Saints' Studio, Cairo (EG)
20.05.2023 Room Art Space, Cairo (EG)
27.03.2023 MIR, Oslo (NO)
26.03.2023 HAVET, Trondheim (NO)
Contact:
Booking: froydis@ruudidoodi.com
Other inquiries:
jonascambien@hotmail.com
alyeissa93@gmail.com