Yossi Sassi & The Oriental Rock Orchestra - Illusion Of Choice (2018)

Our Choices are the thing that distinguishes us the most. We differ mostly by the choices we make. Choice transcend deeper than your gender or skin color - they determine Life as we know it. We do not choose our Roots, but we choose our Roads, and pick certain paths rather than others. This is also the main difference between the child and the adult. An adult defines his routine, his character and essentially his "fate" by a vast collection of choices, small and big, mundane and crucial.

Between the perception that everything is known in advance ("Maktoob", a predestined fate) and the absolute liberty of the individual (I am the only one responsible for my fate, I control all my choices), there is a certain balance. It is difficult to identify completely with any of these extremes. And yet, many people tend to cling on one of these extremists, in different periods of their lives, or consistently, until they depart from us.
This is the initial setting for the discussion of the concept of the new album - 'Illusion of Choice'.

Why CHOICE? Because choices shape our whole lives. In the past, humans would decide very little about themselves, even critical decisions were made in total arbitrariness by an external factor, such as God or the family (the choice of the next king was made by the God you worshiped, or the church, and people would marry those they were told to or matched to, regardless of true love and choice of the heart.
Over the years, the West's approach and the strengthening of focusing on the individual and his needs, have caused the pendulum to shift from the Outside/Externally determined choices (God, family) to the interior/Self-determined choices (me, myself and I).

In the current generation we reach a climax of individual rights and many choices that are driven primarily by our passions and yearnings, true passion & instant gratification guide much of our choices.

What is the ILLUSION, then?
First of all, many of our apparently conscious choices are not conscious at all, and result from structures, connections and experiences in our past, while we are certain that they are the product of our free will. There is also a genetic imperative for complete DNA segments that simply 'trigger' and activate biological "code snippets" and the individual responds to them in their "free choice."

But the greatest illusion happens in the transition to the information age, The Cyber Generation. Cyber is the delicate fabric in which devices, software (lines of code that someone writes) and people - exist. It is not clear where we start and where the devices end, and vice versa. "Battery life" took on a completely different meaning. No battery - no life. Or a whole other life suddenly shines in the lack of full Cyber immerse. Real choices. No code, no algorithm that learns and offers you your next choice. Our personal choices are based on what has been analyzed and chosen for you in advance. You don't really choose how to travel when using 'Waze'. You don't really choose what to see on your Facebook feed. We choose for ourselves, but we are conducted with a false sense of total choice. A deep sense of control, a space that is completely undemocratic, not anonymous, and out of our control.
Welcome to "The Illusion of Choice" - an open album that was recorded open heatedly next to the open sea on a secluded Island, by a group of musicians who broke away from everything for a few days and tried to really choose what they feel and want to do.

And what do you think?
We'll be glad to hear. If you choose to.

Go Make Your Choice.
Yossi

The Oriental Rock Orchestra
Yossi Sassi – Vocals, Guitars (Electric, Nylon-String, Acoustic), Bouzoukitara, Bouzouki, Charango, Oud, Chumbush, Mandolin
Or Lubianiker – Electric Bass
Shay Ifrah – Drums
Ben Azar – 7 String Guitars, Guitar Solo on "Maktoob"
Roei Fridman – Percussion
Danielle Sassi – Flute
Yogev Levi – Nay flutes
Ariel Qassis - Kanun

Guest musicians
Ross Jennings – Vocals on "Reveal"
Ester Rada - Vocals on "Choice"
Amir Rozanes, Roei Fridman, Or Lubianiker, Ben Azar, Yossi Sassi – Choir
Yoed Nir - Cello, Strings, backing vocals on "Choice"
Hen Shenhar - Violin

Track List:
01. Kardia 03:33
02. Reveal 03:34
03. Art Of The Problem 03:04
04. Maktoob 05:03
05. Choice 05:45
06. Orient Echoes 04:15
07. Akrotiri 02:47
08. Monad 03:30
09. The Syncopating Heart 05:52

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