Painted Sands

You can almost taste the spices and smell the sweat of the Silk Road, the kicked-up dirt from millions of footsteps bringing the magic and mysticism of the East to Western palates over the course of centuries. This is no mere fancy; Painted Sands is an electronic ensemble born out of the many Asian countries along the ancient Silk Road, where composer, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Narayan Sijan lived and performed between 1994 and 2006.

Like the ancient trade route itself, Painted Sands has a story of cultural interaction and a trading of traditions from Asia, India and across the Middle East. Sijan plays a range of traditional instruments including the Egyptian oud and Turkish saz lutes with an authenticity and passion handed down from the masters he encountered during his time on the road. His musicianship weaves effortlessly with traditional dance and infectious electronic beats courtesy of Schirin Chams-Diba and producer and programmer Carmen Rizzo of world/electronic act Niyaz, whose credits include Seal, Paul Oakenfold and AR Rahman. The result is a sensual assault; a tapestry of music and movement that is as restless and seeking as the travellers it evokes.