Saqqara

Saqqara is the fifth studio album by the London-based composer, producer and vocalist Esbe. Trained in classical guitar at the Royal Academy of Music, Esbe’s previous work draws on her Eastern European and North African heritage, as well as her love of early music, jazz, and British folk. On Saqqara, which is named after the oldest necropolis pyramid in Egypt, Esbe imbues her compositions with inspiration drawn from her travels in that country, replete with soaring melismatic vocals and layered electronic percussion. Lyrically, the songs evoke romantic images of desert nightscapes, Bedouin princes and grand processions, with the occasional wordless injection of Pakistani qawwali influences lending the album a devotional quality.

The combination of Esbe’s striking voice and the synthesized textures of her production draw easy comparisons with Dead Can Dance, with midi strings dancing around sampled frame drum and tabla programming. However, despite some strong instrumental writing and effective string arrangements, the lack of any live acoustic instruments can lead to a lack of contrast between songs. While the album works well as a piece of contemporary world fusion, some might find its evocation of Egyptian culture and history somewhat exoticised. However, this doesn’t detract from Esbe’s obvious talents as both a vocalist and composer.