It is our pleasure to announce the release of the eponymously titled debut album from ASHIRVAD (meaning “Blessings”), on Sangita Sounds. Featuring 8 tracks of Ambient Raga, Indian Fusion, Ethnodelic dubs and Meditation trance that have been specially designed for a superior chillout experience. The album is the fruit of their 6 month recording tour and a years production work back in Sangita Studio HQ in London. With pre-release copies having been tested by Yogis, Masseurs, Psychedelic Dreamers, Wizards, World Class Audiophiles and Cosmic Dudes across the globe. we can say with certainty that this has well and truly passed the Acid Test.
After a six-month recording tour in India followed by a year production in London and a move to Glastonbury (Avalon), the production Duo of Mathura Das and Darren Sangita, aka Ashirvad have delivered a stunning album that exhibits an extra-ordinary sense of aesthetics both in their art and music.
Featuring a host of talented classical, devotional and folk musicians from India and around the Globe, Ashirvad is a new paradigm in the future of spiritual sounds.
Ashirvad have created an exotic fusion soundscape blending ambient Indian Ragas, subtle electronica and spiritual moods to guide you on a mystical journey to the transcendental realms. Ashirvad is a kaleidoscopic musical pilgrimage across the sacred heartlands of India. Ashirvad give thanks to all their family, friends and fans for all their support.
Click through to read some of the reviews of Ashirvad :-
Our pre-launch party is coming! This coming friday will see a cosmic ensemble of musicians, producers, friends and family gather together in the mystic melting pot of Inspiral Lounge.
SANGITA SOUNDS
Present
ASHIRVAD
(album launch)
LIVE
Ashirvad, E.S.P, Noodreem
DJ
Jaya Jay , Darren Sangita
VENUE : Inspiral Lounge, 250 Camden High Street, London
DATES : Friday 9th October 2009. 8pm – 1am.
ADMISSION : Free
Sangita Sounds present Ashirvad, a kaleidoscopic musical mandala of sonic nectar. Join us for a celebration in sound fusing and innovating in the traditions of Bengali dub, indian devotional & classical music, ambient raga and psychedelic electronica. The extended soundtrack to our journey will be provided by our hand picked selection of sonic sorcerers and musical magicians.
Ashirvad will be previewing their new album at dates planned in Spain and London.
Association Cultural Furthur have invited us to spread the love vibrations at their magic multi-cultural festival just outside Madrid at the end of this month. Their beautiful energy will guarantee a cosmic weekend. 3 Daze of magic gathering with Live Acts, Djs, Vjs, Swimming pool, Chai, Market, Restaurant,Camping Area, Beds & Showers, Circus, Theatre, Organic-art, Workshops, Ambient Lectures and more…
Date :September 27th – 29th 2009
Venue : La Chopera, Madrid
At Inspiral Lounge, London, Sangita Sounds present Ashirvad, a kaleidoscopic musical mandala of sonic nectar. Join us for a celebration in sound fusing and innovating in the traditions of Bengali dub, ambient raga, indian folk, devotional & classical music and psychedelic electronica.
We have been busy at Sangita Studios brewing up an alchemical visual mix in the Ashirvad Video (or Ashirvideo as I like to call it). Enjoy it in the mode of deep sensual stimulation. This is the “tryptamine surfer mix”, a psychedelic celebration of colour and sound.
‘ASHIRVAD’ - is a musical pilgrimage & kaleidoscopic celebration of Divine & Earthly blessings – An adventure from Glastonbury to India, reflecting the universal spiritual journey of the soul.
Through the power and mystery of sound and music, we invoke a musical offering to the Gods.
The creative process was initiated around the time of the Millenium with a cosmic calling to share the majestic magic of music – That is transcendental in tone, tryptamine in timbre, revelatory in rhythm and mellifluous in mood.
‘ASHIRVAD’ contains droplets of sparkling sonic nectar, that dance blissfully in the ecstatic ocean of Shabdha Brahman (Spiritual Sound Vibrations).
With the Grace of the Gods we share the fruits of our humble creations with the residents of this, our Earth Nation.
Peace and Blessings. Mathura das & Darren Sangita @ Sangita Sounds
Through the power and mystery of sound and music we invoke here a musical offering to the Gods. The process was initiated at the turn of the millenium, with a cosmic calling to share majestic magic in music, transcendentalism in tone, tryptamine in timbre, revalatory in rhythm and mellifluous in mood. With the Grace of the Gods we share the fruits of our labour with the residents of this, our Earthnation.
Sacred sound permeates the entire history of Indian culture. From the ancient Sanskrit hymns and mantras of the Vedas and Upanishads, to Medieval Drupada, Courtly Khyal, Amorous Thumri, Devotional Bhajans, Dhuns and Kirtans. Ashirvad is an attempt to weave together, some of the various elements of sacred sound inherent in the vast spectrum of Indian music in a sympathetic way with modern technological styles.
Ashirvad is a series of sonic landscapes inspired by Indian Ragas and various spiritual themes that will take you on a mystical journey to transcendental realms of wonderous splendor. Ravi Shankar once remarked, “A Raga is that which colours the mind”. Raga can also mean natural, spontaneous or intense emotional passion. A Raga is specifically a type of living force in the form of a specific arrangement of musical notes, containing an aesthetic mode of being called Rasa.
is a journey through exotic spaces, inspired by the devotional sentiments of Raga Bhairavi. The ambient intro opens to auspicious mantras with Sukhdev Mishra glorifyingthe holy name of ‘Hari’, followed by Gopal Banerjee praising the cosmic gurus of the Vedic pantheon with the famous invocation, “Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Deva Maheshvara, Guru Sakshad Param Bramha, Tasmai Sri Guruve Namah”. Gypsy guitar then introduces a melodic theme from a popular Bengali Bhajan, “Bhaja Hure Mana” by the 16th cent. Vaishnava poet Govinda Das, who advises his mind to be devotional “My dear mind, just take shelter in adoring Sri Nandanadan (Krishna), at whose lotus feet there is no fear”. The journey then takes us through a mystical flight of fancy with dreamy cello, oboe, violin and an ambient incantation. The dynamics then rise with dramatic insistence to a Central Asian Gipsy jig, then turns East again via Varanasi to the grooves of Bengal. Concluding our mystical journey, we find the ecstatic bard Haradhan das Baul, wandering along the banks of mother Ganga, questioning his divinely inebriated state with the poignant finale, “Ki mode cowalo kishori ?” “What intoxicant have you given me?”.
is the track with the most live feel on Ashirvad, giving it a sense of flying free. (Garuda is the winged, half man/bird carrier of Vishnu). The brilliant violin and vocal overdubs were created by Sukhdev Mishra after recording him also playing tablas live along with Mathura das’s twelve string groove, which was originally conceived during a jam they had together in a friends kitchen in Brixton in 2005. Sukhdev also added the main refrain to the composition and being a veritable one man show, later strummed the swaramandala. The basic guitar composition was quite simple but played in a sequence of open chords in mixolydian mode, allowing Sukhdev to have fun improvising with the flow, by sending it dancing to a mighty crescendo through a wonderfully spontaneous contrast of vocal inflections and dazzling riffs on his violin. Darren pulled the original recording out of the Sangita Studio archives when he returned from India in 2008, and went about polishing and setting the track with level upon level of magic ingredients to enhance the dynamic mood, along with some more guitars and percussion by Mathura das when he finally returned to London two months later.
Enjoy visual narratives of kaleidoscopic journeys in this excerpt of “Garuda’s Dream”:-
utilizes Raga Bhairagi, a melodic scale containing the notes used in the traditional chanting of Sanskrit mantras such as the Purusha Shukta, Vishnu Sahasra Nama and other sacred texts. The luxurious pulsating groove along with the seductive Bansuri bamboo flute playing of Shyan Kishori, entices us to an encounter with the primordial mystery of an ancient time, as the haunting vocals of Shirin Sengupta guide us on a sacred vision quest to the core of our being.
is an ode to the unique vibrancy of Kolkata. Cal. as it known by it’s residents and afficianados, has probably more artists, musicians and poets per capita than any other city in the world. It is also the state capital of Bengal, and was once considered the second most influential city in the entire British Empire. Darren wanted to capture the feelings of an unknown gem from the Calcutta underground music scene, and upon meeting Gopal Banerjee realised he had found a perfect example of the unblemished talent he was seeking. Mathura das and Darren somehow managed to coax the shy reluctant Gopal into singing along with an ambient piece Darren had composed earlier in his hotel room. And despite the busy street sounds outside his house and with regular friends in attendance, Gopal manages to completely submerge himself in the moody pathos of a Purvi type Raga alap (intro.). He then proceeds to introduce an amazingly unique example of swimming in the glorious nectar of the famous ‘Hare Krishna’Maha Mantra (names of God), with the mystical depth and devotion of an ancient Rishi (Sage).
THE VISION
takes the form of a traditional light classical Thumri composition, enhanced with modern technological sensitivity. Sukhdev Mishra’s beautiful vocals, with a just a few lines of exquisite Hindi poetry, depict a romantic recollection of lover’s eyes meeting passionately as if for the first time. The soulful Sarangi of Dabashish Haldar echoes with masterful ease and refinement, that magical moment where magnetic attraction stirs in the hearts of lovers. The watery rhythmic pulse, is the sound of the clay bodied double ended Bengali mridanga drum called ‘Sri khol’, beautifully played by Govind Pandit in Navadwip, a holy town on the Ganges River situated three hours north of Kolkata.Allow yourself to be softly embraced by the mellow sounds of the ‘Vision’, while you drift gently on sacred streams of sonic nectar towards an infinite ocean of celestial blessings.
ASHIRVAD
continues the gentle flow with a Mirabai bhajan set in the light pastoral mood of a Pahari (mountain) folk melody. Mirabai was a 16th century Rajput Princess, who renounced her royal lifestyle due to her intense loving devotion for Krishna, becoming one of the most famous poet saints of North India. Dr. Ashwin Kalbag was inspired by a melodic theme we had developed, then lovingly created his own beautiful composition to accompany our theme with her poem, which describes the inseparable relationship Mira has with her unpredictable lover Sri Krishna. Mira finally implores Krishna to allow her to be a resident of Braj, (Krishna’s residential district) where every step is a dance, every word a song and the sound of His divine flute will always be her constant companion.
THE VALE OF AVALON
is an evocative instrumental piece originally created in Glastonbury, the ancient sacred spiritual center of England in the West country of Somerset. The sparkling soundof Sadhu Seva’s guitar picking along with the swaramandala harp, recalls an ancient Celtic brook, bubbling up from a sacred spring, refreshing the lush apple orchards of this mystical valley steeped in myth and legend. The river of life then flows East to Goa, where Eugene Moriaty from Russian joins us on our journey with his one take wonder sax solo, inspired by Raga Bhairavi and performed in Indian Shenai (Indian oboe) style while riding along the rolling waves of the tabla, linking the liquid spiritual pulse and flow of life from West to the East.
SOUL SEED
is a life enhancing experience, like plunging into a refreshing pool of healing nectar in an oasis of spaciousness. Dive deep into an exotic realm of tranquility, an esoteric shangrila within the inner regions of your the heart and discover the “Peace that passes all understanding”. Debashish Haldar proceeds to mesmerize us with his amazingly intuitive sarangi playing, spontaneously created on the spot while the track was running without ever hearing it before. Something only a master musician can accomplish. Debashish manages to fuse so effortlessly and naturally with the Raga Bhupali theme, that his playing appears to be guided by hands of the divine.
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