River of Light is a musical embodiment of fatherhood. It is strong yet gentle, and for every measure of serenity the recording evokes, there is a corresponding element of power and grace.
This contemporary composition from Swiss-Syrian Basel Rajoub and Austrian Matthias Loibner was originally released in 2021. It marks a collaboration between Rajoub’s saxophone and Loibner’s hurdy-gurdy, a unique string instrument of medieval European origin that produces sound via a hand-cranked, rosined wheel rubbing against strings.
The uncommon pairing provides the distinctive foundation on which the project is built.
As an undertaking, the album offers a complex, meditative soundscape, as the duo draw on the strengths of their respective instruments within the fresh context of their unconventional collaboration.
“River of Light came to fruition when I heard solo hurdy-gurdy played by Matthias Loibner,” Rajoub stated. “Matthias’s ability to express feelings ranging from joy to pain to exhilaration made it possible to bring this album to life. He not only sang through his instrument, but painted with it.”
Loibner shared he is motivated by a desire to document the world through his craft.
“I am not a musician; I am an observer of human moods and sentiments,” Loibner stated. “Since I do not trust words and cannot paint, I use music to convey my observations.”
The recording creates its own space, blending Loibner’s textured drones with Rajoub’s compositions, which inject the familiar timbre of the saxophone into a distinctly Eastern form.
Together, these elements form a sonic recipe that is inherently idiosyncratic.
Within this framework, River of Light becomes a rendering of young fatherhood — an artistic expression of the experiences surrounding its arrival.
“Each piece of music is a letter to my Rio de Luz, the boy who showed me the path to the River of Light and who, upon entering the world, created this music,” Rajoub stated.
The album embodies a sense of birth. It is dominated by a bright, radiant texture that permeates the entirety of the hourlong recording.
As the title suggests, River of Light documents an endless flow of energy that moves deliberately — not in a rush, but at a steady, ancient pace — reflecting the seemingly eternal cycle of birth and passing.
That sentiment is embodied in the persistent drone of Loibner’s hurdy-gurdy. The steady sound conveys peace and serenity — a sense of fulfillment and purpose that accompanies both the experience and the challenges of parenthood.
Simultaneously, Rajoub’s melodies blend East and West, adding another layer of meaning that reflects the differences in experience and being between parent and child.
Together, these elements establish a work that is beautifully singular — and unequivocally worthy of the listener’s attention.
