( Guitar, Bouzouki, Celtic Harp, Hurdy-Gurdy, Psaltery, Koto, Vocals, Words and Music )
Born October 19, 1960. He spent 1963-65 in Berlin and Stockholm and 1966-75 in New York City. He studied guitar first with Stanley Silverman and later with William Hellerman. He later studied the Japanese Biwa, Chinese Zheng, European Lute, and classical music composition. He joined “Fushitsusha”, an avant-garde rock group led by Keiji Haino in 1979. Since 1983, he has recorded over 15 solo albums for labels such as Midi, Epic-Sony, JVC Victor, Polygram, and others, in which he recorded with many internationally famous popular musicians such as Peter Hammill, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Carlos Alomar, David Lord, Danny Thompson, and members of Steeleye Span and Fairport Convention. His more recent music tries to show the ancient musical link on the silkroad from Europe through the Balkans to Persia, India, Central Asia, China, Korea, and Japan by exploring the possibilities of using ancient and traditional music to create new music.
"Desde Montreal, Canadá, llega Against The Day el álbum de debut de Land Of Kush, publicado por Constellation Records, uno de los sellos más famosos de la mencionada ciudad, conocido por su especialidad en el post-rock y con grupos como Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Tindersticks o Vic Chesnutt dentro del catálogo.
La confianza que desprende un sello como Constellation, con una filosofía muy destacable en estos tiempos donde cada vez es menor este apartado, ya hace mirar a Land Of Kush con atención, aunque el dato definitivo para prestarle todo el tiempo que requiere este álbum es quién se encuentra tras el nombre del grupo: Sam Shalabi, compositor y músico de Montreal, de los más prolíficos y únicos de la ciudad y sobre todo, a destacar por el proyecto único, Shalabi Effect.
Ahora se traslada a la zona del valle del Nilo, exactamente al sur actual de Egipto y al norte de Sudán, donde se situaba el Reino de Kush pero para ello no se mueve de su ciudad y decide contar con una gran banda con la intención de dar rienda suelta a lo que en su grupo de rock, Shalabi Effect, ya lleva apuntando en varios discos – a destacar The Trial of St. Orange (2002, Alien8 Recordings).
Against The Day es un homenaje a la novela que en 2006 publicó el escritor estadounidense Thomas Pynchon, a quien el propio Sam Shalabi agradece en el libreto diciendo: “a giant THANK YOU to Pynchon for permanently fucking my mind”.
Este homenaje consiste en cinco movimientos estructurados de la misma manera que la novela, según confesa el propio compositor. Dicha idea consiste en: "Different hues and shapes of Light streak across the words and envelop, suffuse, and illuminate every retail of the story’s particular world."
Grabado el verano de 2008 y con el soporte financiero del Gobierno de Canadá mediante su Departamento de Patrimonio Canadiense, Against The Day da muestras de la riqueza en la mezcla musical que propone Sam Shalabi y cómo en una hora consigue trasladar a quien lo escucha a otro mundo."
Guitar - Dric Kingsbury Synthesizer, Recorded By, Arranged By, Mixed By - Dave Choy Written-By, Dulcimer, Guitar, Vocals - Margaret Morgan Written-By, Guitar, Sitar, Vocals - Carlos Pardeiro Written-By, Guitar, Tabla, Vocals - Patrick Cockett
Originally released in 1973 Recorded at Sinergia, Inc. Honolulu
'These Trails was an Honolulu, Hawaii group that was privately pressed on Sinergia Records in 1973. Their eponymous debut is an album that skillfully combines a keen sense of melody with otherworldly vocals from the enigmatic, late 'Margaret Morgan' and innovative sonic experimentation that over 30 years later has stood the test of time. What's more, the band furnished each of its tracks with the colours, scents and atmospheres of the botanical treasure of the volcanic Pacific island paradise that birthed them.
These Trails incorporate the synthesizer and multiple vocal tracks into something rich, moody and magical - with warbling frequency modulation complimenting Morgan's amazing slow vibrato, fleshed out by graceful acoustic guitars. The songs are full of simple beauty and the power of the performances will never diminish over time.
These Trails - Psyche I & Share Your Water
Tracklist
01. These Trails 1:24 02. Our House In Hanalei 1:51 03. Of Broken Links 1:40 04. El Rey Pescador 3:07 05. Psyche I & Share Your Water 5:22 06. Hello Lou 3:47 07. Rusty's House & Los In Space 5:49 08. Psyche II 2:30 09. Sowed A Seed 2:17 10. Rapt Attention 2:15 11. Waipoo 2:36 12. Garden Botanum 3:31
