Sarathy Korwar

"Dinked Edition" is on 'crystal clear' coloured vinyl. Includes an exclusive 'KALAK Rhythm Wheel' and pacakged in exclusive art. Hand-numbered /400. For avoidance of doubt, the centre is a standard spindle size, and not dinked.  

Sarathy Korwar returns with new album KALAK. The follow up to the politically charged, award-winning More Arriving is an Indo-futurist manifesto - in rhythmic step with the past and the present, it sets out to describe a route forward. It celebrates a rich South Asian culture of music and literature, which resonates with spirituality and community, while envisaging a better future from those building blocks. 

Recorded at Real World studios with meticulous production by New York electronic musician, DJ and producer Photay, who translates these communal rhythms and practices into a timeless and groundbreaking electronic record. There’s a spirituality and warmth at play in the polyrhythms, group vocals and melodic flourishes.

The KALAK rhythm is the fulcrum upon which the 11-track project balances. After an intense lockdown induced period of reflection and meticulous note-making, Korwar boiled this down to the circular KALAK symbol which he then presented to his band before recording began. With the symbol projected on the walls in order to de-code and improvise around, Korwar had utter faith in the musicians he’d assembled and conviction in the concept.

The final part of the KALAK project is realised in the cover artwork by New Delhi-based designer Sijya Gupta. Korwar and photographer friend Fabrice Bourgelle took a light sculpture of the KALAK symbol on a road trip around Southern India, through Chennai, Pondicherry and Auroville. The evocative shots appear on the cover of the various formats, with each one offering a different angle on the country, continent and culture that inspired the album.

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More about the KALAK rhythm wheel:
 
The KALAK rhythm wheel has three layers of rhythms with 12 steps in each layer, which all interact with each other. Each layer has a specific symbol X, ▲ and O.

X, ▲ and O all represent different sounds. The –– represents a rest. 

The rhythms can be played clockwise or counterclockwise. The rhythms can start from anywhere in the circle, not necessarily only the top (or 12 o’clock).

Each layer can be moved a step (or more) independent of the other layer, giving you near-infinite ways to inspire rhythmic ideas