Desert Phase by Kaya Project

Interchill presents the 4th. Kaya Project album “Desert Phase”. This latest voyage into global electronica is inspired by windswept journeys through the Sonoran Desert, the Thar Desert and the Northern Sahara.

Desert Phase 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. In the studio Seb also drew on additional musical contributions from vocalists Irina Mikhailova, Sabiha Khan and Deeyah, as well as Deepak Pandit on violin and Omar Faruk Teklibek on ney and zourna.