Lebanese producer and multi-instrumentalist Samer Etienne Chami also known as Etyen recently teamed up with Iranian-American violinist and singer Saideh Eftekhari for what’s turned out to be one of the most captivating and original instrumental songs we’ve heard this year yet.
“We were both part of the international music experience, OneBeat in 2015,” Etyen told us. “We were selected with other musicians from around the world, and resided for two weeks in the mountains of Saratoga, California in total seclusion, collaborating and preparing original pieces that we then performed for another two weeks touring the US West Coast, playing shows from Oakland through Portland to Seattle in Washington State.”
“Even though we were very much diverse in cultural and musical background, we all became very close very quickly, and felt a kinship so powerful and pure, it instilled new meaning in our lives. It was a beautiful time, waking up to the sounds of the forest, living and breathing music.”
“If We Could Only See” was conceived in the early days of the residency, and reflects that time perfectly, in my opinion. There’s a certain peacefulness mixed with melancholy that captures what it felt like, time almost stopping completely, but actually knowing it would soon end, like all things, it was ephemeral.”
“Saideh and I were neighbors on the mountain, and she walked over to my cabin early morning one day feeling inspired and wanted to record a line that had been stuck in her head. We ended up recording a bunch of melodies and harmonies, sampled the sound of the wind, birds chirping and trees swaying.”
“I produced the track throughout the residency and then while touring, where our journey became chaotic and time passed by much quicker. This is reflected in the track as it progresses, going from a serene, downtempo mood to a more fast-paced and aggressive one. In the end, we’re left with a calm reflection on the journey that we went through.”
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Etyen on Soundcloud, Bandcamp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, www.
Saideh Eftekhari on Soundcloud, Bandcamp,
