Kaya Project - Desert Phase

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Kaya Project - Desert Phase

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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, 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. 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' and '23 Towers'.