Ragas from Lahore

The musical pilgrimage route from West to East may be well-trodden, but it does not typically run through Woking. Little more than a decade on from producing grime demos in his suburban Surrey bedroom, we find Ed Cawthorne (aka Tenderlonious) in Lahore contributing his mellifluous flute and saxophone to a series of arresting ragas.

It is natural for flautists to be drawn to Indian classical music. Subcontinental giants such as Hariprasad Chaurasia have captivated their Western counterparts for decades. While some come to deconstruct and academicise Hindustani music, Tenderlonious’ engagement is driven by the soul. There is a rawness in these ragas, which were imparted to him by Jaubi, a Lahore-based band known for seeking common ground between Hindustani music and hip-hop. While improvising on ‘Azadi’ Tenderlonious gasps for breath like a drowning man, as if desperate for the musical nourishment offered to him by the tabla grooves of Kashif Ali Dhani, the plaintive sarangi of Zohaib Hassan Khan, and the unintrusive guitarof Ali Riaz Baqar. The use of synth drones lends an otherworldly edge to the record, which is a consistently enthralling listen.