Land Scape by TEMBER Ensemble

The album Land Scape is a new production of Tember Ensemble with the participation of guest musicians Pouria Solhjou (Tanbur player and vocalist) and Aysel Shahmoradi (second vocalist).

This research/production project aims to explore how "transcultural electroacoustic music" might evolve, intending to create new electroacoustic pieces exploring innovative sounds and compositional possibilities focusing on Tanbur's sounds and Kurdish maqams (melodies).

Like Tember's first album La Makan, this album is inspired by spiritual insights mainly from Iranian mystic and traditional music, especially religious Kurdish music (Ahl-e Haq) and poetry in the south Kurdish language.

The three tracks of this album subtly tell the story of a spiritual journey that each of us might experience in our own way.

All the tracks are improvised and recorded live, based on a free interpretation of the Kurdish maqams which are minimally rearranged and mixed afterward.


01- Land Scape (Tanbur & live-electronics)

The title "Land Scape" is a paronomasia with the words "landscape", "scaping land", and "soundscape"; it represents the atmosphere/mood of this album and the thoughts and ideas behind it.

The first track is based on a free interpretation of Sheykh Amiri's maqam.

This 23-minute track invites the listener to practice patience, have a peaceful time, and dive deep into the Land Scape sound.

02- Between Mind and Love (Tanbur, voice & live-electronics)

This piece is based on a free improvisation of another Kurdish maqam called Ghatar ( which means “continuity” in the Farsi language).
Its title and sound reflect a being in between (mind and love, logic and emotion), a struggling to let go. "Mind and Love" could be interpreted also as metaphors of matter and spirit.
This struggle between mind and love is a state that one passes in the journey of awakening and liberation.


The lyrics are selected lines of a poem by Seyd Yaghub Mahidashti. The title of this track is inspired and taken from the poem.

عزیزان ماه رخساری ژ قوس ابروان تیری و جرگم آشنا کردن ندارم هیچ تقصیری
…
یک عمره پاسبانی کم ژ دور خرمن حسند و صد من گندم گوناد جوی نادی و ورزیری
ژ عقل و عشق حیرانم نه زانم قول کامین کم نه عشقم پیم ادا مهلت نه عقلم کات تدبیری
…
(شعر از سید یعقوب ماهیدشتی )

Dear friends, such a beautiful moon face with eyebrows arch like an arrow; it sat in my heart, it’s not my fault!
…
It’s a life I am guarding*, and I have got nothing! But a guarding dog receives a meal for its effort.
I am confused between mind and love; I don’t know which one to listen to! Love does not give me respite and the mind does not give me a solution.
…

*taking care of love, which can be a spiritual love also.


03- Liberation (Tanbur, Santur, Voice, & live-electronics)

The story of this album ends with this piece when the heart is trapped by love which is fully given to the beloved one.
By the poet's opinion and in some spiritual beliefs, this is the only way of liberation.

This piece is based on a free improvisation of another Kurdish maqam called Sarukhani and another poem from Seyd Yaghub Mahidashti.


ای دل به دام افتادی، ای دل به دام افتادی
در حلقه ی دامش گیر کرده ای
هر شادکامی ت به ناکامی تبدیل می شود
هر کار می کنی برایت بدنامی می آورد
هر دوایی برای دردت می دهم بیشتر رنج می کشی
تا کی به دنبال سوداهای بیهوده هستی؟
هرگز خیالت حتی برای یک ساعت راحت نیست
پای غصه و خیال از زندگیت کوتاه نیست
شیرینی ها برایت تبدیل به حسرت می شوند و تلخی ها باعث شیون زاریت می شوند
ای دل به دام افتادی. ای دل به دام افتادی
(شعر از سید یعقوب ماهیدشتی )


O heart trapped, O heart you are trapped.
You are stuck in a trap.
Every happiness turns into a failure.
Whatever you do brings you disgrace.
The more medicine I give you for the pain, the more you suffer.
How long are you looking for useless fantasies?
Your mind is never comfortable even for an hour.
The grief and illusion, don’t leave your life for a short moment.
Sweets become regrets for you and bitterness makes you cry.
O heart you are trapped. O heart you are trapped.

Tember is a Transcultural Electroacoustic Music Ensemble formed in Berlin by Alireza Ostovar (composer, producer & live-electronics performer) to create innovative music with new sound timbre and unique atmospheres using both traditional and contemporary (electroacoustic) music elements and techniques. Tember collaborates with international guest musicians.