Fadi Tabball . Subject to Potential Errors and Distortions.

Label: Beacon Sound ‎– BNSD055, Ruptured ‎– RPTD 028
Released: 23 Oct 2020
Genre: Electronic
Style: Ambient, Experimental

On his fifth solo album Fadi Tabbal delves deeper into the theme of alienation in a suffocating city. Composed and conceived almost entirely at his home in Beirut during Covid-19 quarantine, the record is his most intimate yet.

While his previous solo work consisted solely of guitar pieces, this time Tabbal adds tape loops, vocal samples, and synthesizers to his sound palette in an attempt to convey the subjectivity of memory and our tendency to write and rewrite history according to the present.

The result is seven pieces that veer between minimalism and ambient music akin to recent outings by Pan American’s Mark Nelson and mid-period Stars of the Lid. Three of the tracks feature the voice of Julia Sabra, singer for Beirut dream-pop group Postcards.

Lebanese musician, producer, and sound engineer Fadi Tabbal’s work consists of guitar pieces ranging from stripped acoustics to ambient and electronic-inspired treatments. He has released 4 solo albums since 2013, including The Museum Of Disappearing Buildings [Beacon Sound/Ruptured] and Music For The Lonely Vol. 1 (2017-2018) [Beacon Sound]. 'Subject To Potential Errors And Distortions' is the third collaborative release between Ruptured and Beacon Sound.

Often referred to as “the hardest-working man in Lebanon’s alternative music scene,” Tabbal relocated to Beirut in 2006, following studies in sound engineering in Montreal; he promptly established Tunefork Recording Studios, a specialized work-space which offers customized services including full band recordings, live sound, music production and composition. Tabbal is a full-time member of several Lebanese bands including electronic duo Stress/Distress and The Bunny Tylers (with Charbel Haber) and has collaborated with Mike Cooper, Postcards, Sharif Sehnaoui, Kinematik, Sary Moussa and Oiseaux-Tempete, to name but a few. He also recently has spearheaded the Beirut Musicians Fund, an effort to help local musicians affected by the catastrophic explosion at the Port of Beirut recoup some of their losses.

In addition to handling engineering and production tasks at Tunefork Studios, Tabbal is a specialist in sound design and conception. He has worked on a variety of projects through the years, including sound and music installations for Lebanese art ensemble The Feel Collective, Nada Kano's Beirut Dance Studio, Petra Serhal, Tania el-Khoury, Sursock Museum, as well as music and sound design for films by Maher Abi-Samra, Rania Rafei, Roy Deeb, Chadi Aoun, Nadim Tabet, among others. He has been the technical director of Irtijal, the region’s leading experimental music festival, since 2011 and has been teaching sound at the Académie Libanaise Des Beaux-Arts since 2012.

Tracklist

A1 The New And Improved Guide To Birdwatching Vol. 1
A2 On The Escape Boat
A3 Cheap Triptych Photography
A4 The New And Improved Guide To Birdwatching Vol. 2
B1 Ceremony By The Sea
B2 The New And Improved Guide To Birdwatching Vol. 3
B3 The Sidewalk At Nigh