Monday 22 March 2010

S.o.t.D. – Infinite Emanation – Adham Shaikh

Infinite Emanation – Adham Shaikh

I was first exposed to this wonderful piece of music on a mixed tape that a DJ friend had mailed to me when I was living up in Lanark. I was so utterly mesmerized by this song that I rewound it and listened to it over and over. I phoned him and held the phone up to the speakers to ask him who it was.
“Oh it’s Adham Shaikh, and the track is...hang on...it’s...Infinite Emanation, and the album is...Journey to the Sun.”

A year later I went to a joint record release party for Legion of Green Men’s Floating in Shallow Water (my name is in the liner notes :-) ) and Ekko’s Centripetal (which was a project of Adham’s). After the show I’m sitting on a couch chatting with Andrew Ross-Collins who runs the wonderful InterChill label, and I tell him something about that song.
“Oh dude, you have to tell Adham that! Hang on.”
He runs off and a minute or two later returns with Adham. He introduces us and he sits down beside me.
“So you’ll either think this is a great compliment or you’ll be really creeped out. First off I just want to tell you that I think Infinite Emanation is just one of the most amazing pieces of music I’ve ever heard. As a matter of fact, the whole album is fantastic. So, if I was ever to die under some sort of controlled circumstances – I’ve been in a car crash and I’m in a coma and they tell my family there is no hope and that they should pull the plug, or I have some horrible disease and I get Dr. Kevorkian to help me put an end to it all, whatever – I would want Infinite Emanation to be playing as my soul leaves my body.’
There was a moment of silence and I thought for sure he would edge away from me, say ‘nice meeting you’ and scurry off with a weirded out look on his face..
“That is absolutely the most incredible thing any one has ever said about my music. Wow! Thanks!”
We ended up sitting there for quite a while talking about a bunch of subjects.

On New Years Eve 2008, my pal Esther had a party at her studio, and Adham was one of the performers. As I left, Lex (from Legion of Green Men) and Adham were leaving as well. We chatted for a bit.
“I know I’ve met you before, but I can’t recall where or when...”
“When you had the record release party at the Hummingbird with Rew and Lex for the Ekko album, I sat and chatted with you after...”
“Infinite Emanation! I remember! Dude, that is the coolest thing anyone has ever said about my music. It told me I was doing something right and that what I was creating touched peoples soul in some way.”

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