Acclaimed for his “ageless music” (NPR) and a voice that conveys a well of wisdom wise beyond his 25 years, rising Belgian-Egyptian musician Tamino today unveils the details of his sophomore album, Sahar, due out September 23 on Arts & Crafts. The grandson of one of Egypt’s most famed singers and film stars, Tamino channels his own lineage, as well as the folk and rock music traditions from the Middle East and Europe for a borderless and timeless record.

Created in the wake of the international frenzy that followed his debut album Amir, Sahar was born in Tamino’s Antwerp apartment. Already adept at playing guitar and piano, Tamino took up the oud, an Arabic lute, under the mentorship of a Syrian refugee living in Antwerp. The instrument served as a key tool in the songwriting process, and provides a melancholic soundscape that is threaded throughout the project. The record is a distillation of Tamino’s solitary reflections, and a product of work with close collaborators including Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood, producer/engineer PJ Maertens, and drummer Ruben Vanhoutte.

That Tamino’s music is in part imbued with the sound of the Middle East should come as little surprise. His grandfather, Muharram Fouad, was one of Egypt’s most celebrated singers and actors, and it was his old guitar that Tamino was gifted as a child and set him on his musical journey. In Europe, Tamino already plays to sell-out audiences in the thousands including one standout show at the 8000 capacity Lotto Arena in Antwerp, a city he has long called home.

Tamino’s 2018 breakout debut album Amir was met with adoration from critics and fans alike. The Antwerp-based musician’s fanbase stretches across the world, from the Middle East to North America, and the album has collected over 126 million streams and garnered widespread praise from The Guardian, British GQ, BBC Radio 1, Ones to Watch, Paris Match and more.