The House of Fortitude is a long-term experimental music project through which I explore my conceptual / musical ideas. It is essentially a solo project but relies to a certain degree on contributions from friends and colleagues. Below are a few excerpts with very brief descriptions of some of the thoughts that shape the music. Some of this music will be available through general release in the near future. If you find yourself interested in it, please feel free to get in touch.
Wherever relevant, contributions from other musicians have been credited. Otherwise all instruments have been played by Nagib El-Desouky.
Earth Dance:
A musical exploration of the element of earth. (female voice by Sarah Iman Telman)
Transmogrification:
I have an avid interest in many of the transformative processes which are an integral part of human existence and the natural world. This is an investigation into one of them.
Sky Dance:
An exploration of the element of air. (female voice by Amanda Drummond)
Progression:
Another musical investigation into a transformative process (spoken word by Sabina Asnani / sung voice by Sarah Iman Telman)
The unmanifest:
According to many ancient traditions, the unmanifest is the Absolute, the pure and formless ground of being from which creation and manifestation arise. Some schools of belief hold that the manifest and unmanifest are part of the same reality, others believe that the Absolute is the only reality with all manifestation being illusory. Other belief systems again posit that the one creative entity interpenetrates every part of nature and extends well beyond that which we can conceive. (female voices by Amanda Drummond / trumpet by Alex Bonney)
Cell Division:
A musical exploration of what kemetic researcher schwaller de lubicz termed the primordial scission. In the ancient Egyptian tradition, this was perceived to be the mother of all creative processes; the instance when one becomes two, when out of unity emerges polarity. (female voice by Sarah Iman Telman)
First manifestation:
Once one has become two, the world as we experience it has come into existence. It is a world where two opposing forces, bound together, intertwined and interdependent, continually give rise to each other in the endless dance of life. (strings by Sarah Iman Telman / spoken word by Harry Scott)