Bachar Mar-Khalifé On / Off

<h3 style="text-align:center"><em>- Dear friends, following the recent catastroph in Lebanon, we have decided to donate 10% of this campagin to the lebanese NGO Beit El Baraka, working on the ground since 2018, offeri</em><em>ng food &amp; shelter to those most in need -</em></h3> <p style="text-align:center"><img alt="" height="161" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/678175/logoBeitElBaraka-1597084549.jpeg" width="116" /></p> <hr /> <h2 style="text-align:center"><strong>ON/OFF</strong></h2> <h3 style="text-align:center"><strong>In December 2019, I felt the necessity to make a record in Lebanon -my first.</strong></h3> <p>In particular in the&nbsp;family house in the moutains, near the <em>Jaj</em> cedars forest. It always had been a place I&nbsp;imagined myself recording, even if it is not equipped&nbsp;for&nbsp;a studio recording at all. It was just calling me, the silence, the physical organic sensation I&nbsp;have there, far from...everything.</p> <p><img alt="" height="256" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/676638/c55f0fb9-1583-4323-8a92-bcd2a72b9f27-1596032557.JPG" width="460" /></p> <p>So the question was, how to make it possible?</p> <p><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/676880/6C6A6766-1596183115.jpg" width="100%" /></p> <p>I gathered my team from France and Lebanon, and with their help we imagined ways&nbsp;to make it happen. The biggest challenge was to find solutions in terms of electricity as we only have 6 hours of it there. Not mentionning the acoustic ;&nbsp;and mattresses were our best option... With the help of my talented friends and family in Lebanon we were able to travel and make this recording a reality, in a country that was already starting to collapse. We were creating something where everything was collapsing.</p> <p>The piano set:</p> <p><img alt="" height="656" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/676873/DSC_9774-1596179315.jpg" width="436" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <h3 style="text-align:center"><strong>Now the record is finished: set to be released October 23rd,&nbsp;i&rsquo;m eager to get it out there -- </strong></h3> <p>The first single, Zakrini, is already released, and you can listen to it here:</p> <div class="k-ResponsiveIframeContainer"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="281" scrolling="no" src="https://cdn.embedly.com/widgets/media.html?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fembed%2FRV5lwiWgwag%3Ffeature%3Doembed&amp;display_name=YouTube&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DRV5lwiWgwag&amp;image=https%3A%2F%2Fi.ytimg.com%2Fvi%2FRV5lwiWgwag%2Fhqdefault.jpg&amp;key=8b7d8dd6504d41af9a77662672aabc2a&amp;type=text%2Fhtml&amp;schema=youtube" title="YouTube embed" width="500"></iframe></div> <p>For the record&rsquo;s artwork I&nbsp;asked the young and brilliant painter <em><strong>Lossapardo</strong></em> - he was able to translate in his paintings the organic feeling of the record. He painted like we recorded, roughly&nbsp;and sincerely. We have printed a selection of his paintings and will be offering them during this campaign.</p> <p>Here are the three paintings he did especially for this record and that we are offering here. These are limited prints (100ex only!), on fine-art Hahnem&uuml;hle paper, and signed &nbsp;for those who&#39;d like.</p> <p><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/677311/3paintings-1596493087.jpeg" width="100%" /></p> <p>His painting of the electric counter comes from a picture of the house&#39;s actual counter - electricity going on and off every day. It&nbsp;was a huge part of the living/recording process, and it inspired the name of the record: On/Off.</p> <p><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/676874/IMG_7234-1596179509.JPG" width="100%" /></p> <p>Work on candles:</p> <p><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/676875/9902bab0-b378-438d-881d-aecf69f603bc-1596181945.JPG" width="100%" /></p> <p>We also wanted to offer&nbsp;a t-shirt and a hoodie, and for this we teamed up with my&nbsp;friend Jalal Kassar and his Lebanese/UK brand <em><strong>Uncivil (Bliss)</strong></em>. Here is the hoodie On/Off he designed for us:</p> <p><img alt="" src="https://d3v4jsc54141g1.cloudfront.net/uploads/project_image/image/676968/HoodieBachar-1596233735.jpeg" width="100%" /></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Now to make all this come together, as we are entirely independant, we opened this online shop for pre-orders till the release of the album.&nbsp;We are launching&nbsp;this very&nbsp;first&nbsp;crowdfunding campaign&nbsp;during which we&rsquo;ll be offering&nbsp;exclusive packages for those being with me&nbsp;since the beginning, and those who want to show support for my&nbsp;music&nbsp;and projects.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>