Omar Ahmad - Inheritance (AKP)

What Your Ears Say & The Cover Looks Like

---

What We Say

Stimulation, disorientation, freedom & safety tempered by saude - all in a day's thought processes I'm guessing for a Palestinian now living in New York. So it's fitting that Ahmad's new LP for AKP swirls & teeters manically yet magically with a disparate, continent spanning, delightfully juxtaposed collection of sounds & instrumentation. Somehow (painstakingly I guess) he's molded them into a familiar yet futuristic, Balearic nodding, slow dance suggesting, unfailingly wondrous musical mosaic, which eases you into his eminently listenable, more abstract sound art.

---

What The RElease Notes Say

'Inheritance' is the solo debut from Palestinian-American composer, producer, DJ and sound artist Omar Ahmad. It is an intimate reflection of the blurry, vast, and cyclically changing nature of Ahmad’s inner world. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Ahmad enjoys bending the “rules” of genre, often using child-like and unconventional techniques to yield raw emotion. His compositions are inspired by the ever-changing balance between distinct feelings and oppositional pairs in the world: empathy / disconnection, loss / discovery, longing / isolation. As a third culture musician Ahmad rarely finds himself fully belonging to a singular sound or ideology.

Proceeding from the concepts of inheritance in the war-torn and colonially divided Palestinian Territories, 'Inheritance' poses several questions: What is a right to a land? What is the responsibility of the youth to carry forward the struggles and undertakings of their elders? How can we break the recurrence of intergenerational trauma that gives rise to the cyclical conflicts that tear away at the heart of humanity?

While not claiming to provide any answers, the work grants the listener an opportunity to run, dance, or lay on the floor in stillness and reflect on their own connection to the greater fabric we’re all woven into. The inconsistency of memory and shaky concepts of self are two recurring themes that hopefully bring the listener to not only ponder as an adult, but also to engage with their inner child throughout the listening process.

At times recalling the emotional landscape of Fennesz and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s 'Cendre', 'Inheritance' weaves an auditory narrative that evades genre constraints. Enveloping orchestral ambience gives way to hypnotic Arab poly-rhythms, dewy and playful nostalgic electronica, and shines a bright light into the dark depths of experimental meditations. One may note affinities with the work of Palestinian DJ Muqata'a or Kuwaiti experimental musician Fatima Al-Qadiri, but while Ahmad's work may share some elements, both aesthetic and ideological, with these artists, his is entirely his own, marked by a particularly tender approach.

CREDITS
Omar Ahmad - Cello, Synthesizer, Guitar, Percussion, Voice, Synth Programming, CDJ, Field Recordings, Effects

All songs written and performed by Omar Ahmad
Additional violin arrangement on "Lapses" by Concetta Abbate
Additional synth programming on "Sham Oasis" by Sam Obey
Recorded and mixed by Omar Ahmad
March 2020 - December 2021 at home in Brooklyn, NY
Mastered by Sam Obey

Original painting by Singha Hon
Artwork + cassette layout by Francie Chang

This album is dedicated to Amneh Ibrahim Ahmad (1927-2017) whose strength, perseverance, and foresight I understand better every day. Thank you to Amira for putting up with me during this process, Val for keeping me authentic and dialed in, and Sam for your ears, wisdom and mentorship.

---

FOR MORE UNDERGROUND SLOW DANCE STEP INTO THE SLOW HOUSE PLAYLIST