Exilarch

Exilarch (Hebrew: ראש גלות Rosh Galut, Aramaic: ריש גלותא Reish Galuta lit. "head of the exile", Arabic: رأس الجالوت Ra'as aljaloot, Greek: aechmalotarches / Αἰχμαλωτάρχης - "leader of the captives") refers to the leaders of the Diaspora Jewish community in Babylon following the deportation of King Jeconiah and his court into Babylonian exile after the first fall of Jerusalem in 597 BCE and augmented after the further deportations following the destruction of the kingdom of Judah in 587 BCE. The people in exile were called golah (Jeremiah 28:6, 29:1) or galut (Jeremiah 29:22).

The Greek term has continued to be applied to the position, notwithstanding changes to the position over time, which was at most times purely honorific. The origin of this dignity is not known, but the princely post was hereditary in a family that traced its descent from the royal Davidic line. It was recognized by the state and carried with it certain prerogatives. The first historical documents referring to it date from the time when Babylon was part of the Parthian Empire. The office lasted to the middle of the 6th century, under different regimes (the Arsacids and Sassanids). During the end of 5th century and the beginning of 6th century Mar-Zutra II formed a politically independent state where he ruled from Mahoza for about seven years. He was eventually defeated by Kavadh I, King of Persia. The position was restored in the 7th century, under Arab rule. Exilarchs continued to be appointed through the 11th century. Under Arab rule, Muslims treated the exilarch with great pomp and circumstance.

Exilarch (album)

Crafted by Canadian producer Rhys Fulber, Exilarch is the third studio album released under his alias Conjure One, after five years since the previous effort. The album was initially released as a worldwide digital download on October 19, 2010, while the physical release was made available in the US on November 9, 2010. The CD was eventually also released in UK and Europe on April 15, 2011.

Overview

Exilarch, with its title referring to the Jewish leaders of the Babylonian Exile, is a nomadic album that travels between light and dark, meticulously incorporating electronic beats, lush textures and haunting vocals. By fusing organic instrumentations of the ancient east with synthetic electronics of the modern west, it presents a strong example of Conjure One's signature style.

The album spawned two singles ahead of its release. First out was the 7 track remix EP "I Dream in Colour", released on June 29, 2010. The song features vocals by Leah Randi, who also has a prominent role on the album for providing bass guitar and backing vocals. The single also featured an additional album track, "Places that Don't Exist".