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Recorded live on Nov 21, 2022, by Tyler Wood in Brooklyn, NY. 
Mixed and mastered by Tyler Wood at Sauce Farm Studio, Catskill, NY

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Layale Chaker (right)
Sam Minaie (left)

This digital release was created as part of Remix ⟷ Culture’s Tanfis project series, which made its debut in NYC in the Fall of 2022. The series explores the theme of "Tanfis," which is understood in Arabic as the journey of the nafs (self/soul) from a place of stuckness towards liberation, from the holding of breath to the exhalation. In English, tanfis can be translated as "catharsis." The notion of tanfis invites us to meet the crises of our time with transcendent revelry. To lean into our imaginations. To create together, locally, globally, and in solidarity.

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Deemed a "Rising Star" by BBC Music Magazine, violinist and composer Layale Chaker was raised on the verge of several musical streams since her childhood. She debuted her musical training at the National Higher Conservatory of Beirut in her native Lebanon, and later went on to pursue her studies at Conservatoire Regional de Paris and the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying under professors such as Mohamed Hashem, Carmen Scripcariu, Jeanne-Marie Conquer and Nicholas Miller. 

Layale's musical world lies at the intersection of classical contemporary music, Jazz, Arabic Music, and improvisation. Her releases have been listed as "Top of The World" by Songlines with a 5-star review, rated #2 on NPR 10 Best Releases, #1 for several weeks on the World Charts of iTunes and Amazon Music, and has received praises by the BBC Music Magazine, The New York Times, The Strad, Strings Magazine, Jazz World among others. 

A 2020-2022 Jerome Hill Fellow and winner of the Silkroad Seeds inaugural 2020 award, Layale is also recipient of the Opera America Discovery 2022 award, a Nadia et Lili Boulanger 2019 laureate, finalist of the Rolex Mentor & Protege 2018 Prize, the recipient of the Diaphonique Franco-British Commission Prize 2019, the 2018 Arab Fund for Arts and Culture Grant, the Royal Academy of Music 2018 Guinness Award, and the winner of the Ruth Anderson 2017 Competition.

"Ruinous Gods", Layale's debut opera in collaboration with librettist Lisa Schlesinger will see its' world premiere at Spoleto Festival 2024, followed by its' European premiere at Wuppertal Opera in Fall of 2024.

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Iranian-American bassist and producer, Sam Minaie, was born and raised in Reno, Nevada where he attended the University of Nevada, Reno. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Reno, he moved to Los Angeles to study with Charlie Haden at California Institute of the Arts where he received his Master’s degree.

Currently living in New York City, he has enjoyed touring and recording throughout the world with artists including Tigran Hamasyan, Kneebody, Donny McCaslin, Dhafer Youssef, Charlie Haden’s Liberation Orchestra (tuba), Peter Epstein, David Ake, Ravi Coltrane, Jeff Ballard, Nate Wood, Mark Guiliana, Patti Austin, Melody Gardot, Butch Morris, Tootie Heath, Jean-Michel Pilc, Ari Hoenig, Shai Maestro, Nate Wood, Ben Wendel, Houman Pourmehdi, Alfred Ladzekpo and numerous others. As a producer and post production engineer, Sam has either written for, mixed, or mastered dozens of records and is the founder of birdFood Studio in NYC. 

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