Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Moshe Benasher - Schizophrenic Soul

He turned around and walked away...piano banging and singer dreaming out loud...who are you and what do you mean? .... no harmony, voices singing against each other, yes yes yes the carnival is flying in

I've got some new tracks to share today, Moshe Benasher's Schizophrenic Soul and American Lies. A toy piano and an unsettled voice creating small room echos, delicate pop songs chattering to themselves. Benasher's a Chassid from New York, but these tracks aren't much like the collection of Chassidic niggunim on his previous Soul Awake. While they draw on the melodic richness of the niggunim, these tracks are raw, off-kilter, and pure pop. Check 'em out.

Schizophrenic Soul & American Lies

Benasher's just getting rolling and doesn't have a website yet and hasn't started playing gigs yet. He'd love feedback though, so drop me an email or leave a comment if you like the tracks.

Update: Benasher dropped me a note this afternoon with some Chassidic (Tanya) sources for his song lyrics.
"American Lies

Likutei Sichos Chelek Lamed Vav Parshas Shmos
Iggeres Hakodesh (in Tanya) siman 25.

and ppl can read more about it right here

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/507284/jewish/Reaction-to-Tragedy.htm

The person who truly believes in G‑d and His providence does not fear vulnerability; the word doesn't exist in his/her lexicon. One is never "vulnerable" to random acts of nature, nor is one ever the victim of another's evil (or illness). Everything which occurs to a person is predetermined -- "on Rosh Hashanah [their fates] are inscribed, and on the fast of Yom Kippur they are sealed." This doesn't in any way diminish the pain and grief which result from such tragic events. Indeed, Jewish law mandates mourning periods when we are required to express our hurt and pain. But it does elimte the most dreaded feeling of all: vulnerability.

Schizophrenic Soul

Tanya Likutei Amarim Perek Chof Ches (Chapter 28)

"But in fact there are two souls, each waging war against the other in the person’s mind
The mind is thus not only the battleground, but also the prize, the object of the battle between the two souls, for:
Each of them wishes and desires to rule and pervade the mind exclusively."
and can be read more at length over here

http://www.chabad.org/dailystudy/tanya.asp?tDate=2/21/2009

Likutei Sichos Chelek Lamed Vav Parshas Shmos
Iggeres Hakodesh (in Tanya) siman 25."

10 comments:

le7 said...

Okay I really like the tracks.

I'm Lubavitch and a cellist... I want to get into making good jewish music... wonder where I should start.

le7 said...

For real, I'm hooked.

Mottel said...

While I wasn't much of a fan of Soul Awake . . . These aren't bad.

Mottel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Jack said...

Hi Elisheva....I'm glad you like the tracks.

As for getting into making good Jewish music with cello, I'm listening to your Alter Rebbe Niggun recording right now. Sounds like you're already off to a good start. Anything I can do to help move you along? Are you looking for repertoire? folks to play with? venues to play? drop me an email and we can talk. I may be able to help connect you.

Cheerio said...

this is amazing! the piano-voice combination reminded me of regina spektor, especially schizophrenic soul.
there's so much mainstream jewish music that is so outdated and irrevelant, it's great to hear someone this talented actually doing something original.

Sef said...

Finding Jewish music like this inspires me to be more.

Confused said...

Moshe amazing music... and you have an amazing voice! keep the good stuff coming! It truly come from the higher levels of your neshamah.

Galit said...

I love the Schizophrenic soul track, every time it comes up in a random selection of songs it reminds to think of what choices I SHOULD be making. A nice wee reminder every so often.

Anonymous said...

OPEN LETTER TO JEWS

Shalom,

One of the most important questions in TORAH is,

"Was Moshe schizophrenic & hearing voices in his head or was YHWH really talking to him?

If Moshe WAS schizophrenic then the whole Chosen People & Promised Land thing is dead in the water & the Arabs have as much right to the land as anyone else and Christian Zionists are proved wrong & America MUST stop supporting Israel.

If YHWH was REALLY talking to Moshe, then He was the FIRST anti-Semite!

Exodus 32:7-10

7 At the same time, the LORD said to Moses,

'Go down from this mountain. Your people, the people you brought out of the land of Egypt, have committed a terrible sin. 8 They have very quickly turned away from what I commanded them to do. They made a calf from melted gold for themselves. They are worshiping that calf (Moloch) and making HUMAN sacrifices to it. The people have said, 'Israel, these are the gods that led you out of Egypt.'
9 The LORD said to Moses, 'I have seen these people, and I know that they are very stubborn. They will always turn against me. 10 So now let me DESTROY THEM in anger. Then I will make a great nation from you.'

The WORLD needs to RETHINK everything concerning ISRAEL, the JEWS & the BANKSTERS!