Simon Thacker’s Epic New Benchmark Svara-Kanti: Trikala

Simon Thacker’s Epic New Benchmark Svara-Kanti: Trikala

Simon Thacker’s Epic New Benchmark Svara-Kanti: Trikala. Finally, the epic new benchmark for intercultural collaboration releases on all major streaming platforms worldwide

Featuring: Simon Thacker (classical guitar), Raju Das Baul (voice, khomok), Sunayana Ghosh (tabla), K.V. Gopalakrishnan (kanjira), N. Guruprasad (ghatam), Justyna Jablonska (cello), Japjit Kaur (voice), Afsana Khan (voice), Sarvar Sabri (tabla), Jacqueline Shave (violin), Sukhvinder Singh “Pinky” (tabla), Neyveli B. Venkatesh (mridangam), Farida Yesmin (voice)

A year on from release in solely physical CD format, Trikala by Simon Thacker’s Svara-Kanti, the epic double album that set a new benchmark for intercultural collaboration, will finally be released on all major streaming platforms worldwide on January 17th, 2020.

Universally acclaimed since its initial release, a winner of a Scottish New Music Award and described as

“a class apart from anything one has listened to in very many decades” (World Music Report, Canada), Trikala is a complete and multi-layered statement by a Scottish composer and guitar virtuoso with a miraculously innate connection to the subcontinent. Major European world music magazine Songlines summed it up: “One wonders whether in a past life Simon Thacker was a Bengali itinerant Baul mystic musician or perhaps a South Indian master of the mridangam. Such is his grasp of the techniques and spirit of India’s disparate musical styles.”

Trikala sees the metamorphosis of Simon Thacker’s Svara-Kanti into a community of four different lineups (thirteen outstanding performers in all). These authentic and expansive musical laboratories each take inspiration from four aspects of the vast musical macrocosm that exists on the Indian subcontinent: Hindustani classical (north), Carnatic classical (south), Punjabi folk (west) and the Bengali mystical folk Baul tradition of both India and Bangladesh (east). Trikala also contains Nirjanavana, a stunning digital delay was driven solo guitar tour de force with a Tamil inspiration that beguiled audiences on Simon’s recent solo tour of India. Finally, Simon dramatically reimagines Rabindranath Tagore’s iconic Ekla Chalo re and movingly transforms India’s “National Song”.

Trikala features ancient forms propelled forward to create a new musical future, as well as original creations that travel beyond East and West to genuinely create a third direction of itself. Hyper composition and instinctive improvisation are allied to a near-supernatural understanding between kindred spirits. With over 2 hours and 18 minutes of some of the most advanced intercultural music ever recorded, Trikala’s long-awaited worldwide streaming release brings a pivotal moment in the history of Indo-Western collaboration to the widest possible audience.

Full tracklist (all music was written or reimagined by Simon Thacker):

1. Panchajanya

2. Ajj Koi Saade Vehre Aaya (trad. Punjabi)

3. The Fire of Intention

4. Chan Kithan Guzari Ayee Raat Ve (trad. Punjabi)

5. Vande Mataram (J. Bhattacharya )

6. MaNN Vāsanai

7. Tappe (Tuttey dil da ilaaj nahi) (trad. Punjabi)

Beyond Mara:

8. I

9. II

10. Nirjanavana

11.. Hari Din To Gelo (trad. Baul)

12. Helay Helay Din Boye Jay (Lalon)

13. Tomra Kunjo Sajao Go (S. A. Karim)

14. Bhromor Koio Giya (R. Dutta)

15. Keno Dubli Na Mon (Lalon)

16. Dhonyo Dhonyo Boli Tare (Lalon)

17. Menoka Mathay Dilo Ghomta (trad. Baul)

18. Prabhava

19. Ekla Chalo Re (R. Tagore)

20. Pakhi Kokhon Jani Ure Jay (Lalon)

21. Dil Doriyar Majhe (Lalon)