Jasdeep Singh Degun - Anomaly (2022) [Official Digital Download 24/48]

Lie back. Surrender to the undertow. Feel yourself floating away. Submit to the beauty and sorrow, the poetry and power, of the sitar – that plucked string instrument with the long neck, pear-shaped gourd and origins in the courts of the Maharajahs of medieval India.

Marvel at the astonishing prowess of Jasdeep Singh Degun, who is steeped in the North Indian classical tradition – indeed, in the musical traditions of the Indian subcontinent — and proudly born, raised and based in Leeds, north of England.

“My language is music,” says Degun. “Music is where I come alive.”

Anomaly is not just any debut album. It is a project that showcases an almost preternatural musicality, a way with technique, improvisation, composition and collaboration that will dazzle purists and newcomers alike.

A work whose twelve tracks range from inspired sitar solos and duelling sitar and guitar to all stops out cinematic journeying. Music rooted in the ancient repertoire of raags, the frameworks used in the improvised performances of Indian classical music, and delivered with contemporary flair.

Soothing. Healing. Energising. Bringing us closer to ourselves.

“Each track tells a story of my life, and each has something that makes it distinct,” says Degun, 30, sitting at home in a room dotted with instruments: piano, guitar, tabla hand drum and a sitar custom made in India by the Rikhi Ram company, sitar makers for the likes of George Harrison, Vilayat Khan and Ravi and Anoushka Shankar.

“Growing up in England I’ve soaked up different influences,” he continues in his earthy, good-natured way. “I’ve studied Western classical music. I appreciate composers like Mahler and Mozart and film composers like A. R Rahman and John Williams. I’ve done studio sessions for artists such as Guy Chambers and Cerys Matthews and have written, arranged and produced music for orchestras, big music productions and contemporary classical ensembles.

“Sometimes I’ve compromised.” A smile. “Here I had free rein to get my vision across.”

Tracklist
01. Anomaly
02. Veer
03. Translucence
04. In Search of Redemption
05. Sajanava
06. Enigma 7.5
07. Undertow
08. Rageshri
09. Ulterior Motives
10. Nadia
11. Mahogany
12. Redemption (reprise)