The Amharic Sessions (የአማርኛ ሴሽንስ)

William A Ferguson: guitars, bass, keyboards, electronics and percussion.

ቦምባ

William A Ferguson: guitars, bass, keyboards, electronics and electronic percussion.

Only For Her (ለሷ ብቻ)

William A Ferguson: guitar, bass, synthesizers, electronics and electronic percussion

እንግዳ ውበት (Unreal Beauty)

William A Ferguson: guitars, bass, electronics and electronic percussion.

ስለ አንቺ ዓለም የተሻለች (The World Is Better Because Of You)

William A Ferguson: guitars, bass, electronics and electronic percussion

Random White Dude from California here.

I don’t speak a word of Amharic, but this song just punched me in the chest and left me staring at my phone at 2 a.m. with tears I didn’t see coming.

It’s 150 BPM on paper, feels like a broken heartbeat in slow motion. Every lyric is a plea: “If you leave me alone, I stop existing.” Coffee gets cold, the sun goes dark at noon, even death is scared to come near because the singer would already be gone the second she walks out the door.

This isn’t a love song.

This is what total dependence sounds like when it finally learns how to sing.

Ethiopia gave it the language, but the feeling belongs to every human who’s ever loved someone more than they love being alive.

Headphones on.
Volume up. Let it ruin you a little.
You’ll thank me later.

#ብቻዬንብትሄጂ #EthiopianMusic #IfYouLeaveMeAlone

ብቻዬን ብትሄጂ(If You Leave Me Alone)

William A Ferguson: guitars, bass, electronics and electronic percussion.

This song is called ‘We Make This Real’.

It’s about that moment when you meet someone who feels different from everyone else in your past.

You’ve both been through heartbreak, you’ve both been careful, maybe even played games before… but now something has changed.

She’s hesitant, afraid to trust again.

I’m telling her: ‘This isn’t temporary. This isn’t a game. My heart only beats like this because of you. Just take my hand, let go of the fear, and together we can turn what we have into something true, something that lasts forever.’

It’s slow, emotional trap-soul mixed with warm reggae rhythms, late-night feelings, soft 808s, and that Ethiopian heart running all the way through it.

This one is for anyone who’s ready to stop holding back and finally build real love.



ውል እንደዚያ (We Make This Real)

I'm currently sitting on several thousand dollars of recording and mastering software, along with a shit ton of virtual synthesizers and virtual guitars (no, I don't actually play a real guitar, or a bass for that matter - diabetic neuropathy has all but robbed me of the dexterity to handle them; but I can scoot a mouse and draw lines and, while my body has basically gone to shit, my mind still works. I still have the knowledge to write music. I feel a lot like Stephen Hawking in that respect).

Anyhoo, to answer your question: Logic Pro X for Mac.

For the guitars, I use Native Instruments Vintage, Electric Mint, Electric Sunburst, Acoustic+Nylon Picked and Acoustic Strummed.

I use EZBass for my bass tracks and Native Instrument Acoustic Bass.

For the synthesizers, I have (virtual) an Arp 2600, Moog Mini and Modular V, Synthi V, Buchla Easel, Fairlight CMI from Arturia.

25 years ago, had I developed Diabetes and the associated neuropathy that robbed me of the ability to play bass and guitar, I probably wouldn't be here talking to you right now as I would have pretty much unalived myself as life would have been unbearable at that point.

Thankfully, I now have the technology to keep my hand in the music game.

And how bad is my diabetes? Upon diagnosis my A1C was 11.5 and I was coming down off a 500+ point glucose level. It's amazing I didn't lapse into a diabetic coma.

And how bad is my neuropathy?

I can barely write my name, filling out forms is a chore. I have to have someone do that for me.

My balance is nearly fucked as I have difficulty standing and/or walking. Riding a bike or a motorcycle is out of the question.

It has affected my vision.

My feet are in constant pain, especially my left foot that feels like stepping on broken glass all the time, and did I mention my fingers don't work anymore?

Basically, having been dealt a shitty hand, I didn't give up - I fought back.