I CANNOT claim to know Indian music well enough to assess the authenticity of classical guitarist Simon Thacker's excursions, but I am satisfied that Thacker has the passion as well as the musical knowledge to justify every note.
Joined by classical violinist Jacqueline Shane, tabla player Sarvar Sabri and vocalist Japjit Kaur, this is unmistakeably the product of people at the very top of their profession and, almost inevitably for a Scottish-made album, beautifully recorded by Calum Malcolm at Castlesound in Pencaitland.
Thacker's own compositions owe most to the tradition he so respects and it is when he strays furthest from the sub-continent on the title track – an exploration of what studio technology can do to change the sound of his own instrument – that his work is most fascinating.
More interest accrues to the other composers on the disc. Nigel Osborne's suite The Five Elements ignites with Fire-Agni, when the writing escapes the consciousness of the instrumentation, but it is Terry Riley's SwarAmant that is the real gem. More concerned with its effect than its content, those looking for a bit of rock drive, and prog thinking (without the need for backwards guitar), will find it here.
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