Scotland-based collective Rootless brings collectively Romani and Indian musicians to honor a shared ancestry, weaving flamenco-inspired guitar and fervent saxophone with the rhythmic heartbeat of tabla and dhol. “This isn’t simply fusion, it’s a reunion,” says Sodhi, a masterful tabla performer who can be the host of the Speaking Tabla podcast. “The Roma and Indian individuals share historical past, and we needed to make that historical past sing once more from our house in Scotland to the world.”
Flamenco-inspired guitar, booming bass, and saxophone tones with gypsy jazz enchantment come from the Romani facet, guiding the observe’s melodic drive, whereas Indian instrumentation play an enjoyably distinguished function rhythmically. Using dhol and tabla steadiness playful and hypnotic attraction, pulsing all through with amiable precision. The recording, primarily accomplished in Scotland with extra periods in India, displays the symbolic imaginative and prescient of bridging continents and cultures, with the Scottish people setting offering a novel backdrop for this vibrant collaboration.
The observe’s manufacturing consumes instantly in its vibrant, dynamic tonal vary. Bursting saxophone and heavy rhythmic pulses exude a prancing sense of effervescence, constructing cohesively thereafter right into a moodier vocal intrigue. The shifts between extra rhythmically bustling pleasure and unique, spacious mystique makes for a constantly climactic attract. The cautious balancing of Romani melodies and Indian rhythms—overseen by Pakistani-British producer Sarmad Ghafoor—ensures that neither custom overpowers the opposite, creating a very harmonious dialogue.
An particularly memorable flip takes maintain previous the two-minute flip, the place wordless crooning and frolicking instrumentation maneuver into the colourful saxophone work. Playful, punchy vocals then enamor throughout the ultimate minute, concluding this improbable observe with charisma and enthusiasm. With dwell performances on the horizon—together with a set at Aberdeen Mela in September 2025—Rootless is poised to translate this studio magic right into a full-on celebration of shared heritage, rhythm, and motion.
—
We found this launch by way of MusoSoup.
