There's something plainly refreshing about witnessing an artist following their own path, uninhibited. Chandra's trilogy of albums – first released thirty years ago, and now reissued by Real World Records – fully embodies this ethos. Their focus and experimentation with voice and drone draw these albums together, asserting a unique space in the musical canon.

The first, 1992's Weaving My Ancestors’ Voices, draws vocal stylings from Irish folk, Islamic singing and Spanish lullabies. Her voice, stark and clear, sings a haunting poetry. A stand-out moment is Chandra's reworking of Monsoon's ‘Ever So Lonely’, the song that took her to Top of the Pops in 1982. Here, she transforms it into a more mature sound, singing of how ‘the ocean refuses no river.’ Whether a track features clear and unfiltered singing or voice and sound playfully mingling to create something distinctly more experimental, this album is pure testimony to Chandra's wide-ranging influences and creative skill.

1994's The Zen Kiss sees Chandra's lyricism take on an increased storytelling role, weaving us through temporalities and space, tales passed down from generation to generation. Fable is central to the second instalment of this trilogy, whether presented in the abstract, across language, or in spoken word. It's all-encompassing, a testament to the universality of age-old tales of love, loss and longing.

In stark contrast, Chandra's final album, ABoneCroneDrone is perhaps the most experimental of her career. The drones which feature across the trilogy here take main focus, vocals weaving in and out, dissolving within and adding texture to the music. Indian classical instrumentation meets noise meets shoegaze – an album that demands much of its listener, but provides rewards in equal measure.

All in all, this trilogy achieves that coveted feat of drawing across tradition, culture and style to create something completely its own. Never verging into mere assemblage, each of these works births something completely new, simultaneously rooted in tradition and innovation – and undoubtedly timeless.