An ambient cinematic vibe with Denyse Anyogu’s moving poetry. The only English words on the album.
02KHWAAB (THE DREAM)
A track I wrote with Melissa Baten at the start of the Dusty Road journey. There are 2 versions in Hindi and Bengali. This is a song about loss and isolation: "is my life a dream?" (Chorus lyrics)
03SAJANA
A desert song about separation with Sufi (Pakistani devotional music) and Rajasthani (north Indian) undertones.
04TAHANA DIL
A song about longing in a Ghazal style with French influenced pianos and backing vocals.
05BANGLES
A nostalgic song. The first track I completed for the Dusty Road album. For me this bittersweet song says something about ‘coming of age’.
06KANYA
A track about youth. Using classical Indian dance (Kathak) vocabulary - here recited by Gauri Tripathi. I had a lot of fun playing with Gaurijis vocals – things were chopped, edited and put through filters to get the intricate rhythmic (vocal) layers I wanted for this track.
08GHAR
A song about 'Going Home' in Panjabi. A breaks track in 3/4 timing. Organic steel string guitar meets the world of synthesis. I always envisage a turbaned sardarji trapped in outer space.
09NOMAD
A laid back sensual track dedicated to all the people who have had to make a sacrifice.
10AN OFFERING
A song about keeping faith. In Bengali with oriental inspirations. Reminds me of the Buddhist monks of Thailand who seek alms at the first light of dawn.
11ALLAH HOO
A track I wrote with the ineffable Faheem Mazhar. A modern day Sufi Qawali. With this track I wanted to experiment heavily with vocal layers and invoke a ‘Sufi-esque trance’ with the chorus.
