Desert Phase

Interchill presents the 4th. Kaya Project album “Desert Phase”. Following hot on the heels of “…& So It Goes” (released in November 2008), this latest excursion into global electronica is inspired by windswept journeys through the Sonoran Desert, the Thar Desert and the Northern Sahara. For “Desert Phase” Seb Taylor and Natasha Chamberlain draw upon their personal experiences of time spent in these 3 deserts to convey the spirit of these mysterious landscapes and their inhabitants. The album includes many of the recordings captured by Seb and Natasha in Arizona, Rajasthan and Morocco, from the desert dwelling musicians of Jaisalmer to Moroccan bazaars and atmospheric desert winds recorded amongst the sand dunes in North America. While some of the tracks reflect the timeless, haunting and spacious nature of the desert (‘When Only Sand Remains’, ‘The Fourth Age of Sand’), many are a reflection of the people that inhabit these areas and are a tribute to their resilience, optimism and joyous attitudes in a seemingly harsh and unforgiving environment (‘Desert Phase’, ‘Vijaya’, ‘The Fortress’). Other tracks are rooted in folklore and cinematic myth like the dusty desert/cowboy vibes of 'The Stranger Rolls In', 'Calico Stomp' and 'Arizona Morning Cocoon'. A few of the tracks were transformed by the addition of extra musicians back in London like the vocals of Shahin Badar on 'Ummah Oum' and the upright bass playing on 'Dust Devil' by Riad Abji. The Bollywood recording sessions that were part of the second Kaya Project album “Elixir” (Deepak Pandit on violin and vocals by Sabiha Khan) were also drawn upon to add a distinctive flavour to this release as well as backing vocals from both Irina Mikhailova and Deeyah - singers whose talents have graced previous Kaya Project releases. Omar Faruk Tekbilek, who appeared on the “Elixir” album also makes an appearance on Desert Phase playing ney and zourna on 'Eye Of The Storm' & '23 Towers'.