Music Without Borders is the first full length release from The Oran Project and follows on from their well-received two-track single Morocco/Paris.

Band leader Dougie Gordon has assembled a team of talented musicians with years of experience in a diverse array of musical styles, from Fife native Hazel McClure’s classical violin and traditional Scottish fiddle background, to Mike Delaitre’s sega and maloya rhythms played on traditional percussion instruments from his homeland of Mauritius. Bass player Andy Gilmour comes from a jazz and progressive rock background while guitarist Bill Dick grounds the band with his rock and blues sensibilities. Dougie himself has been immersed in the music and instruments he has found on his travels and has found a particular affinity with Gnawa music from the Berber peoples of Morocco and the Touareg blues of sub-Saharan Africa.

The album was recorded live in the studio with minimal overdubs allowing the musicians the opportunity to be spontaneous and to share new ideas. In the seven original instrumental compositions Dougie displays his natural instinct for rhythm and melody, and in his arrangement of the Ale is Dear he puts a rhythmic spin on a traditional Scottish tune.

Music Without Borders takes the listener on a journey through landscapes near and far, exotic and familiar. The instruments too go on a journey of sorts, not tied to their traditional musical styles or homes yet Dougie’s innate musicality makes them sound as if they are exactly where they belong.

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