Omar Ahmad

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'Inheritance' is the solo debut from Palestinian-American composer, producer, DJ and sound artist Omar Ahmad. It is an intimate reflection of the blurry, vast, and cyclically changing nature of Ahmad’s inner world. A self-taught multi-instrumentalist, Ahmad enjoys bending the “rules” of genre, often using child-like and unconventional techniques to yield raw emotion. His compositions are inspired by the ever-changing balance between distinct feelings and oppositional pairs in the world: empathy / disconnection, loss / discovery, longing / isolation. As a third culture musician Ahmad rarely finds himself fully belonging to a singular sound or ideology.

Proceeding from the concepts of inheritance in the war-torn and colonially divided Palestinian Territories, 'Inheritance' poses several questions: What is a right to a land? What is the responsibility of the youth to carry forward the struggles and undertakings of their elders? How can we break the recurrence of intergenerational trauma that gives rise to the cyclical conflicts that tear away at the heart of humanity?

While not claiming to provide any answers, the work grants the listener an opportunity to run, dance, or lay on the floor in stillness and reflect on their own connection to the greater fabric we’re all woven into. The inconsistency of memory and shaky concepts of self are two recurring themes that hopefully bring the listener to not only ponder as an adult, but also to engage with their inner child throughout the listening process.

At times recalling the emotional landscape of Fennesz and Ryuichi Sakamoto’s 'Cendre', 'Inheritance' weaves an auditory narrative that evades genre constraints. Enveloping orchestral ambience gives way to hypnotic Arab poly-rhythms, dewy and playful nostalgic electronica, and shines a bright light into the dark depths of experimental meditations. One may note affinities with the work of Palestinian DJ Muqata'a or Kuwaiti experimental musician Fatima Al-Qadiri, but while Ahmad's work may share some elements, both aesthetic and ideological, with these artists, his is entirely his own, marked by a particularly tender approach.