There are artists who build worlds quietly, and then there are those who invite you to step into them fully, visuals, sound, story, and emotion all moving in sync. Arabian Alien, the experimental music offshoot of Saudi filmmaker Meshal Al Jaser, belongs firmly in the latter camp. It is not a side project or a gimmick. It is an extension of a cinematic mind that refuses to stay in one lane.
At its core, Arabian Alien is an exploration of Arabic music filtered through sci-fi fantasy, lo-fi intimacy, and a soft romantic lens. The project first emerged in 2020, the same year Al Jaser’s short film Arabian Alien made international waves. The transition from screen to sound felt natural. Music was never treated as background or accessory, but as another narrative tool, one that could carry mood, character, and meaning just as powerfully as dialogue or imagery.
The debut single, ‘Romantic Encounter,’ set the tone immediately. Lo-fi and bedroom-pop inspired, it plays with nostalgia while leaning into an otherworldly sensibility. Think sci-fi softness rather than spectacle. The track features vocals by Tamtam alongside Al Jaser himself, blurring the line between character and creator. It feels intentional, almost diaristic, as if the music exists inside the same universe as the film rather than outside it.
Visually, Arabian Alien is just as considered. Al Jaser is notably selective with his social media presence, but when he does share, it is never filler. Every image, clip, or teaser feels cinematic and deliberate, echoing the visual language of his films. The music video for ‘Romantic Encounter’ leans into this fully, following the alien protagonist as he sweeps a Middle Eastern beauty into a surreal, extraterrestrial date. It is playful, slightly absurd, and emotionally warm, sitting comfortably between concept art and musical comedy without tipping into parody.
That same sensibility carries into the music. Al Jaser does not rely on shock value or trend-chasing. Instead, it offers something quieter and arguably more subversive. It presents Arabic creativity as futuristic, emotionally layered, and unconcerned with fitting neatly into existing categories. The lo-fi sound softens the sci-fi edges, while romance grounds the fantasy in something human and familiar.
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