Raising Awareness for the Palestinian People

A couple of years ago, composer Kristian Sensini (Rocks in My Pocket; La Sorpressa) produced an album to raise awareness and funds for Ukrainian refugees called A Blurred Glass.  His advocacy for  Palestine and the Palestinian people now comes to the forefront in this new concept album, Silent Depths.  The album includes artwork by Palestinian artist Wadeei Khaled and proceeds from the albums sales will go to support the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music.  In addition to using field recordings made in Palestine, the album is performed as well by Palestinian musicians.

As in the aforementioned, work this too creates a New Age-like blend of minimalist threads against small lyrical ideas.  Strings are the primary sound here with electronics and an additional flute line adding to the texture.  The primary thematic idea of “Eternally Still” has its own folkish sound enhanced by a vocal line that floats against the texture.  The lengthier “Grasping At Shadows” creates that effect musically with a three-note motive that tries to expand from a repeated three-note idea from which it tries to launch.  It repeats these ideas with subtle adjustments as the track progresses.  A bleaker quality lands in “Fading Kafan” where the upward motions of the previous track, become a sort of sighing motif against denser and harsher dissonances.  Moments of beauty try to break through with a sense of hope.  The field sounds tend to be a bit recessed at the opening of tracks, though in “Perpetual Reveries” they come to the forefront a bit more as a violin plays above the sounds (which recurs in the final “Through Her Eyes” with poignant children’s laughter).  “The Stillness We Breathe” brings the flute out a bit more in the somber, dense harmonic structures that create a sense of unease against the hopeful reach of the lyric line.  Many of the tracks here create that sense of beauty trying to come out of darkness.  A sort of set of variations set across these textural blocks of sound provide the backdrop to reflecting about the plight of the Palestinian people and what is being lost.  The listener is left with a sense of hope as the opening material returns in a more major harmonic way in the final “Through Her Eyes”.

The 40-minute playing time provides a brief opportunity for reflection.  It can be streamed on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/intl-it/album/5mJm4m1bChRFVRjUBXJfRp) with a limited edition CD helping to provide a memento for listeners offering their support through purchase of the physical project. 

More information on Sensini’s project can be seen here: https://www.kristiansensini.com/silent-depths/The limited-edition CD is available here: https://kristiansensini.bandcamp.com/album/silent-depths