Sa'id is sad (and equally untroubled)
May 01, 2023, 02:37 PM
"'Sa'id Is Sad (And Equally Untroubled)' features the field recording from the Luxor Temple, Egypt.
I came up with the title, imagining the life of a local who deals with life's drama, while interacting with the ever-changing world around him, in which cultural clash is not just a term but a reality.
I also reminisced about landing in Luxor and thinking about what my life there could be.
My visit to Luxor was in the fall of 2021, and it was an unforgettable experience, to say the least. During my stay, I made friends with a few residents and was introduced to East and West Banks.
My obsession, of course, was with all the sounds Luxor had to offer. And there were many to collect... Despite the absence of my field recording in the track (due to the concept), I tried to recreate the experience as closely as I could.
I think of Luxor as a beacon of past and future greatness, a place where even one's frequency is changing. One feels the weight of all the ages in making, and being there does alter your thought process.
To express that state/impression, I used synths and sampled acoustic instruments but was as much interested in making that contrast as perceivable via the progression and polarizing motives. Yet it had to be delicate.
I used vocal samples to create beautiful sonology a walk in the village on the left bank can offer; random, abrupt words/chops from passing motorcycles, kids playing, and prayer calls merging.
It was equally important to recreate the experience of visiting the temples such as Luxor, Medinet Habu, Karnak, and others.
(Birds flying between the ancient constructions added another dimension to what one could imagine. Locals and guides explaining what visitors were seeing in from of them, offered exclusive insights.)
The audible extravaganza from random reverberation was simply delicious.
Lastly, there was a feeling of awe from encountering something that Was, Is, and likely, Will Be, for a very long time. The existing reminder of the essential if not the most beautiful "becoming" of civilization in our history is surely a moving experience.
With 'Sa'id Is Sad' I am paying tribute to that moment."
Luxor Temple reimagined by Serge Bulat.
I came up with the title, imagining the life of a local who deals with life's drama, while interacting with the ever-changing world around him, in which cultural clash is not just a term but a reality.
I also reminisced about landing in Luxor and thinking about what my life there could be.
My visit to Luxor was in the fall of 2021, and it was an unforgettable experience, to say the least. During my stay, I made friends with a few residents and was introduced to East and West Banks.
My obsession, of course, was with all the sounds Luxor had to offer. And there were many to collect... Despite the absence of my field recording in the track (due to the concept), I tried to recreate the experience as closely as I could.
I think of Luxor as a beacon of past and future greatness, a place where even one's frequency is changing. One feels the weight of all the ages in making, and being there does alter your thought process.
To express that state/impression, I used synths and sampled acoustic instruments but was as much interested in making that contrast as perceivable via the progression and polarizing motives. Yet it had to be delicate.
I used vocal samples to create beautiful sonology a walk in the village on the left bank can offer; random, abrupt words/chops from passing motorcycles, kids playing, and prayer calls merging.
It was equally important to recreate the experience of visiting the temples such as Luxor, Medinet Habu, Karnak, and others.
(Birds flying between the ancient constructions added another dimension to what one could imagine. Locals and guides explaining what visitors were seeing in from of them, offered exclusive insights.)
The audible extravaganza from random reverberation was simply delicious.
Lastly, there was a feeling of awe from encountering something that Was, Is, and likely, Will Be, for a very long time. The existing reminder of the essential if not the most beautiful "becoming" of civilization in our history is surely a moving experience.
With 'Sa'id Is Sad' I am paying tribute to that moment."
Luxor Temple reimagined by Serge Bulat.