artistreader
Classical guitar meets authentic, personal artist expression with beyond classical musical influences and spoken word. This debut makes for more than mere technical prowess on repeat. Albeit great period music is well worth the listen, Nasser offers something fresh. Accordingly, fav track is the final one. Favorite track: In Between.
Ann
Bilal will capture your heart with his music. He is creative and passionate and is exploring new limits with what a guitar and a guitarist can do. Out of all the music I have ever heard, I can narrow down my favorite moment to one emotion filled note that you will find on this album. Congrats to Bilal. The world will be waiting for you to share more of your beautiful music with us! ♥️
Where the Orange Groves Grow
Tangerine Coloured 12 inch Vinyl LP
Includes Digital download
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Includes unlimited streaming of Where the Orange Groves Grow
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edition of 100
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Streaming + Download
Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
Where the Orange Groves Grow.... started with the title track "Exiles and Orange Groves". I had been writing this piece, a reflection on middle eastern exile narratives and oral history, for my (cancelled) graduation recital. During COVID I went from being a music student living in Toronto to back at my parents place in Windsor (not the most extraordinary situation). At this point I began writing a set of pieces around "Exiles...", which became "Tremors", the soundscape of a violent protest, and "In Between", a poem about being caught between obligation and choice. As the summer went on I composed "...From Ancient Wounds" as a sister piece to "Exiles", which is it's inverse in many ways. Where "Exiles" starts with a clear theme that is fragmented and destroyed as the piece develops, "...From Ancient Wounds" starts in fragments and never makes it back to a place of clarity.
This project wasn't originally intended to be a studio recording, but the more it took shape the more it appeared to be headed in that direction. I am fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to spend the pandemic working towards this project. It was something stable to hold on to that I'm grateful to have had. We recorded all of this in October of 2020, and when we were hit with another lockdown I had the unique opportunity to actually have some space between myself and the project. I felt like it still had unfinished business, and some of the pieces (an unnamed more punk-influenced track, and some other short interludes) were replaced with what became "Departures" and "Every Day is Exactly the Same", which were composed and recorded in Early 2021. In a way I am grateful for the delays and uncertainty of recording my first studio album during a pandemic, because it allowed me the extra time I needed to work through my ideas, and reflect on what worked and what could be strengthened. I feel that this space made for a stronger project overall, and I learned so much through this turbulence.
These pieces represent my dialectical breaking point from being a "classical musician", performing mostly 20th century repertoire, to a musician wanting to take what I had learned and create something original and personal, with obvious influences from composers like Takemitsu and Towner, but also through a sensibility of emo and punk. There is nothing wrong with participating in the academic-centred culture of interpreting classical repertoire, but I have realized that it wasn't who I want to be as a musician. I don't want to sound like Bach or Sor, I want to sound like a pile-up car collision of all of my hardcore, post-rock, avante-garde and 20th century influences. I can only hope that this album has the intended effect.
For more detailed notes on each track, check out the individual track descriptions.
Something else worth mentioning is that during the production of "Where the Orange Groves Grow", thousands of families in the open-air prison of Gaza, Palestine, had their homes destroyed by rockets. I couldn't put out an album called "Where the Orange Groves Grow", really a reflection of the stories of refugees and exiles I've been surrounded by my whole life, without saying something about what is happening this second in the same place. Therefore the proceeds from the digital release will be donated to Islamic Relief, to help rebuild Gaza. If this music means anything to you, fight for Palestine, fight for black lives, and fight for indigenous rights on Turtle Island.
With thanks,
Bilal Nasser
Windsor Ontario
credits
released October 31, 2021
Recorded at 827 Studios, Windsor On.
Bilal Nasser: classical guitar, vocals, synth, bass
Produced by Jay Turnbull and Nate Blackton
Mastering by Jay Turnbull
Artwork by Meaghan Sweeney
Design/layout by Sam Mason
special thanks to: Jill Goyeau, William Beauvais, Peeta, Jamiel, Ann and Ziad
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