SoSaLa Resurrects a Masterpiece: 1993 – A Noisy Voice Again with Powerful Messages
” Hearing the eight tracks for the first time since ’93 knocked me out! I was struck by how much the core sound is indebted to No Wave’s abstract and chaotic aggression – albeit re-interpreted fifteen or so years after the birth of the original movement.” Mark C (LIVE SKULL)
Artist: SoSaLa
Title: 1993
Formats: CD and digital
Label: DooBeeDoo Rec – Cat.#: DBDCD003 – UPC Code: 19800350266
CD Street Date: May 5th, 2023
Digital (International) Release date: August 1st, 2023
Genre: No Wave
All tracks composed by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi (© Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi and ℗ DooBeeDoo Worldwide Music / CD Baby / BMI)
Produced and photos by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi
Recorded and mixed by Martin Bisi @ BISI STUDIOS (Brooklyn), January 1993
Mastered by Adam Reifsteck (Teknofonic Recordings, LLC, New York)
Manufactured and printed in the USA
Stream tracks HERE – Buy here: https://doobeedoobizllc.thrivecart.com/sosala-1993/
7/2/23 – SoSaLa released a retrospective recording that looks back to 1993 when music was made at a particular time and with exceptional musicians.
This retrospective album is a must for fans interested in SoSaLa’s interesting and accomplished music career. The music on this album comes from the No Wave and post-No Wave scenes in New York and out of the free jazz scene. There is a distinct connection between harmolodics and bands such as Live Skull, John Lurie and the Lounge Lizards, and James Chance and the Contortions.
On this album, SoSaLa seamlessly blends Harmolodic Free-Jazz and No-Wave rock to enhance every element the music draws on. The succinct song structures provide a perfect foil for his masterful improvisations on the soprano saxophone and flute (not to mention his work on the organ). The contributions of the other musicians in the sessions bring unique dimensions and startling voices to enhance an already compelling and potent mix. The music sits well with rock and jazz and, at the same time, transcends both.
SoSaLa (a.k.a. Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi – whom Ornette Coleman, one of SoSaLa’s mentors, described as “the freest rock saxophonist” is a saxophonist/composer/improviser who has lived and performed in Switzerland, Germany, Japan, and the US. He has performed and recorded as a leader with his bands (SoSaLa, Alef, SADATO, The Tehran-Dakar Brothers, etc.) and with Salif Keita, Burnt Sugar & The Arkestra Chamber, Mandingo Ambassadors, and many others. He produced several independent releases, published the online magazine DooBeeDooBeeDoo NY, and founded and led the musician’s rights activist foundation Musicians For Musicians (MFM).
Besides being a limited edition CD (5/5/23) and a digital release (7/7/23), SoSaLa 1993 is unique in SoSaLa’s discography. All the tracks, which are unusually short for free jazz-inspired music, were composed on the spot during the recording session at BC Studios (engineered and mixed by Martin Bisi). It was a first in many ways. The recording was the only one in SoSaLa’s discography where he didn’t play the tenor saxophone and the first time he played the organ.
It is the first time it has featured two guitarists and NY indie rock musicians. Apart from SADATO alumni Toshimaru Nakamura, it was the first time they’d played together. The interplay between the two guitars creates a fascinating counterpoint. Peter Gordon’s tenor saxophone contrasts with SoSaLa’s tenor work on his other recordings and is very expressive and Dada-esque. The presence of Gordon’s jaw harp on “Khodahafez (Good Bye)” is a surprise. David Motamed played bass on all but one of the tracks. His work brought a sense of tranquility and peacekeeping into the tumultuous chaos of the overall sound. His bass lines articulated hope for an existential solution.
Half of the tracks have no drums. SoSaLa uses the deliberate absence of drums to evoke interesting moods in the music. Additionally, it is the only SoSaLA recording to feature spoken word performances in four languages (English, German, Japanese, and Farsi). Despite SoSaLa being neither a singer nor a poet, the spoken word performances eloquently demonstrate the message of each track and heighten its dramatic effects.
The cover photos are the work of SoSaLa. Like the other two previous CD covers, SoSaLa shot the moon with his iPhone late at night from his bedroom window. This continuous visual theme of the moon says that while life goes on, the moon’s appearance and status will never change. With this in mind, the cover is truthful to the title and quality of the album.
The Tracks
- Vor Geschlossener Tur (In Front of a Closed Door) (3:10)
- I’m Blind (2:27)
- Dadada Dadada Daaa (4:24)
- Vor Deiner Tur (In Front of Your Door) (2:47)
- So What (3:59)
- Omar Khayyam in New York (3:12)
- You Want to Be a Sex Star (3:00)
- Khodahafez (Good Bye) (2:01)