jrsmith17
Great cover art coupled with jazz taking me in pleasantly unexpected directions makes me happy.
Favorite track: Fast Moving Century (feat. Shai Maestro & Eric Harland).
krotix
Modern Jazz that is very much popping. Guitar is Hekselman's core but rounding out this album is a solid group and in this case a break out drum solo.
Favorite track: Fast Moving Century (feat. Shai Maestro & Eric Harland).
no∂al ınƒlow
Dreamy, mellow, warm and eclectic, Far Star consists of accessible melodies and top notch improvising, i.e. Magic Chord and Cycles. An emphasis on music production is also apparent throughout this release especially on his most ambitious track, Fast Moving Century. My favorite track is I Didn't Know which features the best melody on the album.
Favorite track: I Didn't Know.
The adventurous and progressive guitarist and composer Gilad Hekselman releases new album ‘Far Star,’ featuring guests including Shai Maestro, Eric Harland, Ziv Ravitz, Nomok & Amir Bresler.
Far Star is the new album from Israeli-born and New York based guitarist Gilad Hekselman – a work that explores a new universe rich in colour, limitless in detail and bold in vision. Based for more than 18 years in New York, Gilad has become a well known figure in that highly creative scene, building a unique sound that is both progressive and timeless. With a new approach to music making that has as much to do with the enforced constraints of the pandemic as with any artistic decision, Gilad has produced something that is simply breathtaking. The music has a boldness and simplicity, it’s progressive yet accessible; ultimately it’s a modern and adventurous album with an abundance of detail that offers reward after reward at every listen. From the opening infectious whistle you know you’re going to be taken on a journey of discovery. It connects on all fronts, emotionally and intellectually, ebbing and flowing into wide-view cinematic and progressive Jazz goodness. It is, without question, a remarkable album from a remarkable artist.
“At the start of 2020, I returned from 3 months with my family in Southeast Asia with piles of new music ready to be played with real people. Then the pandemic hit, and suddenly all I was left with for making this music come to life were my instruments, mics and computer. Like everyone else, I didn’t know how long this was going to last, so I started a folder on my computer called ‘Song Demos’ with every hope that I would soon be sending the tracks to my band when it came time to make a new record. Weeks turned into months: I watched hundreds of tutorials, took sound engineering lessons and consulted with my producer friends. After thousands of hours of work, I finished what I called Far Star”.
The adaptation of process, and the artistic response to this, caused by the pandemic resulted in a different, more adventurous sound than appeared in Gilad’s previous albums. It was this ability to go deeper into the detail of the music, to explore new ways of communicating and building the music that opened up more possibilities; “Far Star is about my ability to travel with my imagination to far sonic galaxies, all from the insides of a room. The music, worked on during a pandemic, somehow leaves me with memories of great freedom and liberation through what was clearly a very constricting time in our lives.”
Recorded & produced in Tel Aviv from March 2020 - Dec 2020, and in NYC Dec 2020 - June 2021. Eric Harland recorded at GSI Studios in NYC, January 2021. Ziv Ravitz recorded in France, home studio, September 2020.
All tracks mixed by Gilad Hekselman at his home studio in Tel Aviv from March 2020 - Dec 2020, and in NYC Dec 2020 - June 2021, except for Fast Moving Century, co-mixed with Shai Maestro in both Gilad's and Shai's home studios and The Headrocker, engineered and mixed by Nomok. Eric Harland Recorded at GSI Studios with Josh Giunta engineering.
Album Mastered by Nate Wood, NYC, June - July 2021
Album artwork & letterpress printing by Oli Bentley, Split
Gilad Hekselman plays guitars by Moffa Guitars, Moollon Guitar & Collings Guitars. Amplifiers by Pure Tone Amps & Quilter Amps. Pedals by EarthQuaker Devices, Mooer, Electro Harmonix & Chase Bliss Audio. Monitors by Kali courtesy of zZounds
Gilad Hekselman is one of today's most prominent jazz guitar players. The winner of Downbeat's 2017 Rising Star Guitarist
and producer of 10 award-winning albums under his own name, he tours extensively world-wide with his own band and is the sideman of choice for many top artists on the New York jazz scene. “Far Star”, his upcoming album, will be released in May 2022 by Edition Records....more
A great companion to Little Big. Similar to the first album in concept, but more subtle in style. It lacks the raw power of Siren, Digital Society, and Rising Mind, but replaces it with a barely perceptible build in tension throughout the album, with a clear resolution (Unknown). This album is as much of a story as its predecessor. ianjworsomething