Introducing: Koteri with new track ‘Dry’

Today sees alternative R&B duo Koteri join the Toast roster, alongside the release of their infectious new single ‘Dry’.

Two years after their debut EP Heaven’s a Lonely Place, Koteri’s return marks something of a rebirth: now formed by Abdallah Diab on vocals and Dinar Lusaka on production, the pair have evolved from the alternative, indie space they previously occupied to drawing deep inspiration from their Middle Eastern roots, landing on an captivating and dance-led sound that that is sharper, more immediate and more compelling than anything that came before it.

‘Dry’ feels like a statement of intent. It’s a hard-hitting alternative R&B track built on an irresistible groove and raw, catchy hooks, marking a decisive step forward from the experimental terrain of the duo’s debut. Subtle Arabic instrumentation threads throughout, rooting the sound in the cultural duality that sits at the heart of Koteri’s identity. Thematically, the song navigates the heavy, claustrophobic tension of decaying love and the slow, inevitable separation from someone close.

Accompanying the single is a striking visualiser shot in Egypt’s White Desert – a landscape of surreal, wind-carved chalk formations four hours south of Cairo. It’s a setting that earns its keep: otherworldly and severe, it manifests the emotional isolation of the song in purely visual terms, adding a cinematic dimension that feels as considered as the music itself.

Speaking on the video, Abdallah shares:

“The whole video is an analogy for the decaying passion, between two lovers and how it brings emotions ‘Dry’. Stylistically, we wanted to create a psychedlic take on Mad Max and Indiana Jones, but with a back drop of Egyptian culture. Drawing from surrealist artist Julia Soboleva.” 

Koteri is formed by vocalist Abdallah Diab and producer Dinar Lusaka. Diab grew up between London and Cairo as the son of Amr Diab – the best-selling Middle Eastern artist of all time – absorbing Arabic and Western music in equal measure. With inspirations spanning Daft Punk, Khruangbin and Tame Impala, the pair channel that rare immersion into something genuinely singular: music that moves between hemispheres as fluently as its makers do, without feeling a compromise in either direction. Koteri’s live presence is also taking shape, sourcing band members from some of Egypt’s best instrumentalists with plans to tour in 2027.

”Dry’ Artwork