Rakshasa

Guitarist Simon Thacker has assembled a team of first-rate musicians including the brilliant classical violinist Jacqueline Shave from the Britten Sinfonia, the singer Japjit Kaur and the masterful tabla player Sarvar Sabri. Thacker’s lively compositions are interestingly constructed and full of precision and drive. He has roped in some impressive additional compositional firepower, tackling pieces by the likes of British composer Nigel Osbourne and systems music guru Terry Riley. There’s more than enough going on sonically, with spacey noises of Nigel Osbourne’s ‘Element Suite’ and backwards-guitar techniques.

The disc, however, suggests more potential than is actually realised. It’s a little too refined in places, and needs a bit more dirt in the mix. When we get a simple Punjabi love song like ‘Main Tenu Yaad Aavanga’ it comes as a relief after the cleverness preceding it.

One of Thacker’s stated influences is heavy metal guitar. It may well be that as a live unit they will have a more cohesive group energy and they can let their proverbial hair down and turn it up to 11, just like Spinal Tap. In which case, they could be really inspiring instead of being merely very impressive.